Josh Hickford once had a serious dream of being an All Black. He didn't make it but when his life turned into a nightmare early last year it put everything into perspective.
Flashback to January 2017 and Hickford, known to many for his part earlier this year as a contestant in television's Survivor New Zealand, becomes aware of an unusual lump in his neck.
Concerned he undergoes a series of tests and, eight weeks later, he is told he has Hodgkins Lymphoma, a rare blood cancer that affects the body's ability to fight infection.
For Hickford, a sports-mad 29-year-old chartered accountant with the TSB Bank in New Plymouth, it was the beginning of a nightmare.
"I got delivered the news by phone in a room by myself at Taranaki Base Hospital," he says. "There was suddenly this big black cloud over me, it was a nightmare scenario."
His story has come to light as the Cancer Society of New Zealand is preparing for its annual Daffodil Day street appeal on August 31 to raise funds to help the society to continue to support cancer research and provide help, care and comfort to people with a cancer diagnosis.
But Hickford decided it wasn't going to kill him and took what he describes as a "sports approach" to beating back the disease.
"I've always been a massive sports fan, rugby in the winter and cricket in the summer and I had dreams of being an All Black," he says.
Sports captain at Francis Douglas Memorial College in New Plymouth, he played 1st XV rugby alongside current All Black first five Beauden Barrett and his brother Kane, who went on to play for Taranaki and the Blues in Super Rugby.
And he is sticking to his theory as to why he didn't progress any further: "I was surrounded by too many Barretts (he is also friends with Beauden's All Black brothers Scott and Jordie)," he says tongue-in-cheek.
"But that is nothing compared to what I was up against with the cancer. I am very competitive and knew it was beatable," he says. "I saw it like a run chase in cricket, you can lose a few wickets along the way but get there in the end."
Within a week of being diagnosed he started a four-month course of radiation and chemotherapy. It was, he says a "nasty but necessary evil" but soon after he got the good news: He was in remission, the fight over.
"I managed to overcome my cancer battle - my Mt Everest – and now I want to help others overcome their battles."
Hickford, who took part in a men's exercise group organised by the Cancer Society during his treatment, says the society was" very forthcoming" with support: "They did as much as they could to help."
But while he says he cannot fault the healthcare system, he is keen to see a mentoring programme developed particularly for those aged between 18 and 40 who are undergoing cancer treatment: "Life can change in a flash, it did for me and it could for you and during my treatment I was often blindsided by different situations or had to do a lot of my own research."
Hickford says his cancer experience gave him the motivation to do the Survivor series. "I probably would have applied anyway but it was an amazing thing to be involved in after what I had been through.
"It was brutal, it was the hardest fun I ever had (Hickford was eliminated from the contest after he was "betrayed" by two fellow castaways) but I would leap at the chance to do it again."
Mike Kernaghan, Cancer Society CEO, says when someone gets a cancer diagnosis, it has a huge emotional impact both on the person and their whānau.
He says Kiwis take it for granted that between the public health system and private health care – for those lucky enough to have it – that they will be looked after.
"Actually that is not always the case and we're here to fill the gaps," he says. "It's the little things we might not think about - like how will I get to my treatment, or where will I stay when I need ongoing treatment.
"Everyday we are out helping people who are affected by all types of cancer. We offer practical and emotional support to people when they are at their most vulnerable, our researchers are working on new drugs and treatments and we work tirelessly with the community," he says.
"We can only do this, and more, thanks to the money collected on Daffodil Day."
Kernaghan says help provided by the society include men's exercise groups, massage, wellbeing services, phone support, information on contacts for other services and carer support.
Cancer kills 9500 people in New Zealand every year. It affects one in three Kiwis and more than 23,000 are newly diagnosed every year.
The Cancer Society provides accommodation close to all major hospitals, last year providing 49,000 bed nights and using 1145 volunteer drivers to take 4700 patients to and from treatment covering over 1.1 million km.
# People can make Daffodil Day donations by giving to street collectors on August 31, at any ANZ branch or online at daffodilday.org.nz