Julian Sillett has been given a heartbreaking diagnosis of stage 4 esophageal cancer and given just 14 months to live at the age of 35.
And it all started with a mild case of hiccups.
The business analyst and father-of-two from Melbourne said he started having hiccups food in June 2024.
This then quickly escalated to uncomfortable swallowing problems.
At first, doctors dismissed his symptoms as muscle spasms or stress, but Julian persevered as the pain and his eating problems worsened.
“I went to the doctor in July and he suggested that maybe I was eating too fast, feeling stressed, or it could even be a temporary muscle cramp,” Julian told FEMAIL.
‘He advised me to go home, take it easier while eating and see if the problem resolved itself. But that didn’t happen.
‘I went back to the doctor and at the beginning of August I was having quite a lot of difficulty swallowing. The food got stuck in my throat and it hurt very much.’
Julian Sillett, a 35-year-old business analyst and father of two from Melbourne, has been given a heartbreaking diagnosis of stage 4 oesophageal cancer
The father revealed that the symptoms started in June 2024 as minor hiccups while eating and quickly escalated to severe swallowing difficulties
He said to try to rinse it all away with water, which hardly helped.
Julian was referred by his GP to an ENT specialist and a gastroenterologist.
‘Weeks later I visited both specialists. The ENT performed an on-site examination using a camera to look into my nasal cavity.
‘They found nothing alarming and recommended that I contact the gastroenterologist, with whom I was already scheduled.
‘When I went to the gastroenterologist, he referred me for a gastroscopy.
‘A few weeks later I had a gastroscopy, which showed that there was a tumor at the bottom of my esophagus and at the top of my stomach.’
A biopsy subsequently confirmed that the tumor was malignant.
Further scans revealed that the cancer had spread extensively throughout Julian’s abdomen, affecting his lungs, liver and other organs.
At first, doctors dismissed his symptoms as muscle spasms or stress, but Julian persevered as the pain and difficulty eating worsened
In October 2024, doctors confirmed it was stage 4 cancer, ruling out the possibility of a cure
In October, doctors confirmed it was stage 4 cancer, ruling out the possibility of a cure.
“It felt surreal when we found out… it just didn’t feel real,” Julian said.
He admitted that coming to terms with his diagnosis was a slow and emotional process.
“Over time it kind of became clear that it was real,” he said.
‘I have experienced so many emotions: sadness, hope, wishing things were different, even wanting to trade places with someone else.’
Before Julian learned it was stage 4 cancer, he remained optimistic.
“I kept thinking it was going to be OK,” he explained.
‘Even if it turned out to be cancer, I thought it would be something minor: just cut it out, let me operate, and that would be it. I didn’t really have a lot of stress leading up to the diagnosis because I couldn’t imagine it being that bad. It just didn’t seem possible.’
The devastating reality only dawned on him after the oncologist issued the final prognosis.
Before Julian learned it was stage 4 cancer, he remained optimistic
“When they told me it was Phase 4, everything changed,” Julian said. “That was the moment it all became real.”
Julian’s wife Evelyn and his parents accompanied him to the oncologist when he was told about his prognosis.
His family also initially struggled with acceptance and clung to the hope of beating the disease.
“Even though we were told it couldn’t be defeated, a lot of my family still talked about how we were going to fight it,” he said.
Julian started palliative chemotherapy in November.
The father of two is facing a rare form of aggressive cancer and Julian’s genetic makeup also makes it harder to treat.
Julian’s surgeon has informed him that the tumor is inoperable and that there is no cure.
Before starting chemotherapy, a stent was placed in Julian’s esophagus because the tumor, which is close to the opening of the stomach, was making it difficult for him to eat solid food.
The father of two is facing a rare form of aggressive cancer and Julian’s genetic makeup also makes it harder to treat
The treatment, which includes infusions and daily chemo tablets, has brought challenging side effects, including lethargy, loss of appetite and extreme sensitivity to cold.
‘My doctors put me on a treatment plan, but they said there was no cure. The cancer is too widespread and it is too late.”
He also suffers from side effects of chemotherapy.
“The IVs are really driving me crazy,” he explained.
‘I get tingling, numbness and a metallic taste in my mouth. I can’t eat or drink anything cold, and even room temperature food needs to be heated before I can eat it.”
Despite the physical toll, Julian is determined to make the most of his time.
Julian and his wife have two children, ages 1 and 3, who are too young to understand their father’s condition.
“We can’t talk to them about the fact that I have cancer,” he said.
The treatment, which includes IVs and daily chemo tablets, has brought challenging side effects, including lethargy, loss of appetite and extreme sensitivity to cold.
Despite the physical toll, Julian is determined to make the most of his time
‘But I would like my children to go to school. That is my only wish.’
The support of his family has been a source of strength.
“Both grandparents have helped a lot with the children, and friends and family have shown their support by helping around the house,” Julian said.
Julian’s story is a stark reminder of the importance of early detection and persistence when seeking medical advice.
Although cancer runs in families, environmental factors may have contributed to the development of the disease.
“I never thought it would be this bad,” Julian reflected.
“I just went along with it and thought it would be something small that could be fixed.”
Despite the overwhelming challenges, Julian remains focused on spending quality time with his family and cherishing every moment he has left.
You can donate to Julian’s GoFundMe in the bullet points.