{"id":30374,"date":"2025-10-17T00:34:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T00:34:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374"},"modified":"2025-10-17T00:34:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T00:34:07","slug":"dad-believed-he-was-dealing-with-acid-reflux-before-given-devastating-diagnosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374","title":{"rendered":"Dad believed he was dealing with acid reflux before given devastating diagnosis"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s easy to dismiss heartburn or acid reflux as minor discomfort\u2014something a pill can fix. That\u2019s how it started for father-of-two Zack Van Aarde. Doctors prescribed medication, reassured him it was routine, and life carried on\u2014until July 2025, when everything changed.<\/p><div class=\"nruhl69ff19377e471\" ><div style=\"width:100%; max-width:1200px; margin:0 auto;\">\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/bolt-casino.com?r=0BFDBF1283\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\n    <img \n      src=\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/f8693ebb-2018-480f-a2f7-0096810c07f0.jpg\" \n      alt=\"200% Deposit Bonus + 10% Cashback\" \n      style=\"width:100%; height:auto; display:block; border-radius:8px; cursor:pointer;\"\n    \/>\n  <\/a>\n<\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 1201px) {\r\n.nruhl69ff19377e471 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 993px) and (max-width: 1200px) {\r\n.nruhl69ff19377e471 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 992px) {\r\n.nruhl69ff19377e471 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 768px) {\r\n.nruhl69ff19377e471 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (max-width: 767px) {\r\n.nruhl69ff19377e471 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n<\/style>\r\n\n<div>\n<div id=\"theads-video\" class=\"bplr bplr-targetvideoskin-main bplr-unsticky-inside-left bplr-larger bplr-large bplr-started bplr-long bplr-visible-controls bplr-over bplr-playing\">\n<div class=\"bplr-holder\">\n<div class=\"bplr-controls\">\n<div class=\"bplr-volume-control bplr-volume-hidden\">\n<div class=\"bplr-volume-bar\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"slider\" aria-label=\"Volume slider\" aria-valuenow=\"0\" aria-valuemin=\"0\" aria-valuemax=\"100\" aria-valuetext=\"0% volume muted\">\n<div class=\"bplr-knob\">\n<p>In the early hours one morning, Zack collapsed on the stairs of his home. His wife, Jess, woke to the sound of heavy breathing and then the unimaginable\u2014Zack vomiting blood. She found him pale and barely conscious. \u201cHe\u2019d lost so much blood he couldn\u2019t even stand,\u201d she recalled. She called an ambulance while keeping calm for their children.<\/p>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1850529\" data-uid=\"06b35\">\n<div id=\"mgw1850529_06b35\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"mgbox card-media\" data-template-type=\"container\">\n<div class=\"mgheader\">\n<p>At Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, doctors initially suspected a bleeding ulcer. But an endoscopy revealed a devastating diagnosis\u2014stage four esophageal cancer. A six-centimeter tumor had been silently growing inside him.<\/p>\n<p>Just months earlier, Zack had been healthy and active, working in cyber security and staying fit. \u201cIt came as a massive shock,\u201d he said. \u201cNow, I\u2019m just doing everything I can to give myself the best chance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He began chemotherapy immediately. Every two weeks, he endures treatment, scans, and blood tests to see if the tumor has shrunk enough for surgery. The process is exhausting, but Zack refuses to give up.<\/p>\n<p>Seeking every possible edge, he\u2019s turned to complementary therapies like hyperbaric oxygen sessions, high-dose vitamin C, and red-light therapy to support his recovery.<\/p>\n<p>To help fund these treatments and cover living costs, Zack and Jess launched a GoFundMe. In return, Zack pledged to run one mile for every \u00a310 donated\u2014a symbol of determination and hope.<\/p>\n<p>Esophageal cancer often hides behind symptoms like reflux until it\u2019s too late. Through his fight, Zack hopes to raise awareness\u2014and remind others to never ignore the small signs. For Jess. For their children. For life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s easy to dismiss heartburn or acid reflux as minor discomfort\u2014something a pill can fix. That\u2019s how it started for father-of-two Zack Van Aarde. Doctors prescribed medication, reassured him it was routine, and life carried on\u2014until July 2025, when everything changed. In the early hours one morning, Zack collapsed on the stairs of his home&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30375,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[19,17,11,20,24,15,12,25,22,18,16,21,14,23,13],"class_list":["post-30374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-chronic-diseases","tag-fitness","tag-health-tips","tag-healthcare-technology","tag-healthy-lifestyle","tag-healthy-living","tag-medical-advice","tag-medical-awareness","tag-medical-research","tag-mental-health","tag-nutrition","tag-patient-care","tag-preventive-care","tag-public-health","tag-wellness"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dad believed he was dealing with acid reflux before given devastating diagnosis - VM News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dad believed he was dealing with acid reflux before given devastating diagnosis - VM News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It\u2019s easy to dismiss heartburn or acid reflux as minor discomfort\u2014something a pill can fix. That\u2019s how it started for father-of-two Zack Van Aarde. Doctors prescribed medication, reassured him it was routine, and life carried on\u2014until July 2025, when everything changed. In the early hours one morning, Zack collapsed on the stairs of his home....\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"VM News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-17T00:34:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/562029891_1146818137588145_3240054645415152660_n.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"526\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"632\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"vmfavorite\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"vmfavorite\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"vmfavorite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a2e30a4c480fba08110aa92dceebedad\"},\"headline\":\"Dad believed he was dealing with acid reflux before given devastating diagnosis\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-17T00:34:07+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374\"},\"wordCount\":313,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/562029891_1146818137588145_3240054645415152660_n.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Chronic Diseases\",\"Fitness\",\"Health Tips\",\"Healthcare Technology\",\"Healthy Lifestyle\",\"Healthy Living\",\"Medical Advice\",\"Medical Awareness\",\"Medical Research\",\"Mental Health\",\"Nutrition\",\"Patient Care\",\"Preventive Care\",\"Public Health\",\"Wellness\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374\",\"name\":\"Dad believed he was dealing with acid reflux before given devastating diagnosis - VM News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/562029891_1146818137588145_3240054645415152660_n.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-17T00:34:07+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a2e30a4c480fba08110aa92dceebedad\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/562029891_1146818137588145_3240054645415152660_n.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/562029891_1146818137588145_3240054645415152660_n.jpg\",\"width\":526,\"height\":632},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Dad believed he was dealing with acid reflux before given devastating diagnosis\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/\",\"name\":\"VM News\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a2e30a4c480fba08110aa92dceebedad\",\"name\":\"vmfavorite\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25ae7ad0af0818c5b3c7c52f4610bfa26e9985055e4db731befcf55c2fdcfd9b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25ae7ad0af0818c5b3c7c52f4610bfa26e9985055e4db731befcf55c2fdcfd9b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"vmfavorite\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Dad believed he was dealing with acid reflux before given devastating diagnosis - VM News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Dad believed he was dealing with acid reflux before given devastating diagnosis - VM News","og_description":"It\u2019s easy to dismiss heartburn or acid reflux as minor discomfort\u2014something a pill can fix. That\u2019s how it started for father-of-two Zack Van Aarde. Doctors prescribed medication, reassured him it was routine, and life carried on\u2014until July 2025, when everything changed. In the early hours one morning, Zack collapsed on the stairs of his home....","og_url":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374","og_site_name":"VM News","article_published_time":"2025-10-17T00:34:07+00:00","og_image":[{"width":526,"height":632,"url":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/562029891_1146818137588145_3240054645415152660_n.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"vmfavorite","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"vmfavorite","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374"},"author":{"name":"vmfavorite","@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a2e30a4c480fba08110aa92dceebedad"},"headline":"Dad believed he was dealing with acid reflux before given devastating diagnosis","datePublished":"2025-10-17T00:34:07+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374"},"wordCount":313,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/562029891_1146818137588145_3240054645415152660_n.jpg","keywords":["Chronic Diseases","Fitness","Health Tips","Healthcare Technology","Healthy Lifestyle","Healthy Living","Medical Advice","Medical Awareness","Medical Research","Mental Health","Nutrition","Patient Care","Preventive Care","Public Health","Wellness"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374","url":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374","name":"Dad believed he was dealing with acid reflux before given devastating diagnosis - VM News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/562029891_1146818137588145_3240054645415152660_n.jpg","datePublished":"2025-10-17T00:34:07+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a2e30a4c480fba08110aa92dceebedad"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/562029891_1146818137588145_3240054645415152660_n.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/562029891_1146818137588145_3240054645415152660_n.jpg","width":526,"height":632},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?p=30374#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Dad believed he was dealing with acid reflux before given devastating diagnosis"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/","name":"VM News","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a2e30a4c480fba08110aa92dceebedad","name":"vmfavorite","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25ae7ad0af0818c5b3c7c52f4610bfa26e9985055e4db731befcf55c2fdcfd9b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/25ae7ad0af0818c5b3c7c52f4610bfa26e9985055e4db731befcf55c2fdcfd9b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"vmfavorite"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/news-vm.com"],"url":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30374"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30374\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30376,"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30374\/revisions\/30376"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news-vm.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}