A young man is facing the heartbreaking reality that his life relies on a donation from a stranger.

Sheldon Donovan from Whitchurch, Cardiff, has begun a desperate search for a stem cell donor after his cancer returned for a third time and all other treatment failed to treat his Hodgkin lymphoma.

Since being initially diagnosed in 2016, the 28-year-old has relapsed twice and has now been told a stem cell transplant is his only option.

Hodgkin lymphoma is a rare form of blood cancer which is common in people under 30 and over 55.

"This would literally be life-saving for me," he said.

"I have so much more living to do and dreams to fulfil. Im only 28 and not ready to die just yet.

"It was a shock when I was first told that it was cancer, it's really difficult to process that at 25-years-old," said Sheldon.

"Throughout the whole period of diagnosis they were trying to find out what was wrong but nothing was ever mentioned that it could be cancer.

"They are very surreal words to hear, especially when they are directed at you. All I knew was that I was going to fight it with all my might."

Despite going into remission after undergoing chemotherapy from the initial diagnosis, Sheldon was dealt the devastating news in January 2019 that the cancer had returned.

After a second remission, his world fell apart again as he received the news that the cancer had returned for a third time.

Now, Sheldon has been told that a stem cell transplant is his only option as all other treatments have been exhausted.

"I really am down to my last chance now. Its simple, I want a second chance of life which means relying on the help of a stranger.

"I've been battling this for over three-and-a-half years and this is my second relapse - all of the options have been exhausted."

Sheldon is currently undergoing immunotherapy treatment to stabilise the cancer. He says he is only the second person to have the this treatment at the University Hospital of Wales.

Ultimately, only a stem cell donation will be able to save his life. But his family members are not a match.

"I'm a really positive person, I've got it in my head that something will happen and there will be somebody in the world who can help me," said Sheldon, a supermarket manager who now lives in Malvern, Worcestershire.

"I really want people to understand that, even if it isn't a match for me, by registering you could literally be saving somebody's life.

You can register to be a stem cell donor for Sheldon here.

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'I'm 28 and not ready to die yet' - Wales Online