2 days ago
Josh, 22, was living the dream, set to join his mates on the holiday of a lifetime. But then he noticed a small bump on his leg... and his life was turned upside down
When 22-year-old Josh Pardo noticed a strange lump bulging from his upper thigh in late May, he feared the worst but held onto hope.
Healthy, happy, and on the brink of a once-in-a-lifetime holiday to Bali with his four best mates, the young Aussie had been living his best life.
From running his own lawn mowing business in Victoria's Mornington Peninsula to helping with the family's small online printing company and spending quality time with his girlfriend Tara, Josh was enjoying the freedoms of young adulthood.
But within three days, his life was turned upside down by a shock diagnosis: stage three lymphoma - a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system.
'I noticed a lump in my groin, in the upper thigh, almost,' Josh told FEMAIL. 'It was the size of a big grape; it was almost protruding out of my skin.'
Before telling his parents, he did what many would do - he searched online for answers. He quickly realised that was a mistake.
'I thought it was pretty weird, but I was quick on the ball and booked myself in with the doctors the next day,' he said.
Up until then, Josh had no symptoms, no pain, and no fatigue. With no history of cancer or serious illness in his family, he remained optimistic.
However, what followed was a whirlwind of physical exams, an urgent ultrasound, and an anxious wait.
'I got my ultrasound result pictures on my phone, and I was putting it into AI trying to get it to analyse it. It gave me false hope and told me it was like a benign growth or just a swollen lymph node,' he said.
Just a week later, a biopsy and PET scan confirmed Josh's worst fear - not only was it cancer, but it had already progressed to stage three, spreading as far as his diaphragm.
Josh had been days away from boarding a flight to Bali with his closest friends. The trip was meant to be a celebration of freedom, mateship, and memories.
But his cancer had other plans.
Josh made the difficult decision to cancel his dream holiday, slow down, and focus on his health.
Heartwarmingly, he wasn't just thinking about himself, he was thinking about his parents too.
'Mum and Dad sat me down. I could tell they'd been crying, and I decided to pull the pin... on Bali,' he said.
Instead of Bintang beers and beach sunsets, Josh was suddenly preparing for the fight of his life against an aggressive disease.
Doctors scheduled six months of intensive chemotherapy, with side effects including hair loss, nausea, and fatigue.
His immune system will be severely compromised, meaning he can't live at home with his younger siblings - a 16-year-old brother and nine-year-old sister - who could unknowingly expose him to schoolyard germs.
'My mum put out a Facebook post to all of her friends to help me find a place near the hospital where I can set up on my own. It's so I don't have to be in contact with people all the time,' Josh said.
Josh's treatment plan is intense, but thankfully, it has a high success rate. The challenge now is getting through it, both emotionally and financially.
With his family recently relocating to Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, they won't be close-by so he'll be dealing with a lot of the next six months alone.
In preparation for his first round of chemotherapy in July, Josh has had to stop working, meaning he's lost the income from his lawn mowing business.
And while the family's online printing venture continues, his parents are now stretched thin trying to support Josh, run the business, and care for two school-aged children.
At just 22 years old, Josh should be worrying about weekend plans, first apartments, and bucket list adventures. Instead, he's facing the terrifying unknown - a six-month battle that no young person should have to fight alone.
'It's just one of those things that you read about online you never, ever expected to happen you,' he said.
'Every morning, I wake up and for the first minute or so, life is normal. Then reality sets in.'
But through it all, Josh remains remarkably grounded and optimistic.
He knows the months ahead will be gruelling, but with the help of his family, friends, and community, he's determined to come out the other side.
'I'm pretty content with it, and I know there's a lot of people who don't have the community that I have,' he said.
'The survival rate for this is at my age is about 90 per cent, which is amazing.'
And thing he's most looking forward to when this is all over?
'Having some beers at the footy with my mates, and getting back to travelling lots'.
