2nd September 2026
A 25-year-old man who grew up in Thame is battling an extremely rare form of cancer, after being diagnosed just weeks after walking his mother down the aisle at her wedding.
Dylan, who attended Barley Hill Primary School and Lord Williams’s School, also played youth football for Thame FC.
On 9 April 2026, Dylan walked his mum, Charlene, down the aisle at her wedding. Just weeks later, following what was expected to be a routine doctor’s appointment, further tests and scans led to him being diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumour (DSRCT).
DSRCT is an extremely rare and aggressive form of cancer, with an average of just 12 cases diagnosed each year in England.
Since his diagnosis, Dylan has undergone hospital stays, chemotherapy, procedures and scans.
His family says that before his diagnosis, Dylan had proposed to his girlfriend, and the couple had bought their home together and were building their future.
Dylan’s family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help ensure that, if opportunities arise for specialist treatment, consultations or other options, financial circumstances do not prevent him from pursuing them.
The campaign has so far raised around £37,000 from more than 896 individual donations, with contributions from family, friends and people they did not know.
The family is also hoping to raise awareness of DSRCT and connect with anyone who may be able to offer help or information.
Dylan’s uncle, Bobby Hennessy, said the family wanted to share his story with the Thame community because of Dylan’s strong connections to the town.
The GoFundMe campaign can be found here: https://gofund.me/ff6107be8













