AN ATTEMPT to raise more than £200,000 for a dad-of-two who is battling bowel cancer has passed a major milestone.

John McCallum was diagnosed with bowel cancer on Father’s Day last year, with friends and family looking to raise £220,000 for a liver transplant in Germany.

More than £110,000 has been raised since the funding appeal was launched earlier this year.

The father-of-two said: “It has definitely been the most humbling experience in terms of how much people are wanting to help.

“It has been totally humbling and it has changed me as a person – to be a bit more of a positive person and see the best in people.

“It has been a terrible experience but a great experience at the same time for self-improvement.”

Thirty-six-year-old John is on his fourth round of chemotherapy and spoke to the Courier while undergoing treatment at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.

The keen runner and mixed martial artist was diagnosed last year, despite there being no signs or symptoms or history of cancer in his family.

John, who works for HSBC in Edinburgh, had been having pain in his abdomen and a fever, with doctors initially thinking it could be colitis, an inflammation of the gut, or an issue with his appendix.

However, doctors found a large tumour and John, who lives in Haddington with wife Lorna, was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer.

He said: “Some days it can be fine and some days you get the side effects.

“It affects your feet and some days I can barely get from A to B because my feet are so red and leathery.

“I’m just getting on with it and going online and seeing how people cope with certain side effects, and just doing what I can to keep busy and a positive mental attitude.”

John, whose children, Emma and Ivy, are three and one, has been working on his football coaching badges online so he can “give back” to the community.

In the meantime, he was due to have a CT scan at the end of last week, with hopes still that he can travel to Germany for the operation.

Three operations – one to remove part of the liver from the donor and two on John’s liver – would take place.

Fundraising continues, with colleagues at HSBC holding several sweepstakes to help raise money.

John said: “We got a good push by my work and other people doing their own GoFundMe pages and sending me the money.

“Mates are going for runs, doing bungee jumps and friends of friends’ mums are doing walks and getting sponsored.

“Lots of people are getting involved.”

To make a donation and support John, go to gofundme.com/f/9g9rx-help-john-beat-stage-4-cancer