John, who now lives in Tendring, Essex, has captured the hearts of tens of thousands of Instagram, TikTok and Facebook followers around the world where he goes under the name Welsh Grandad.
He became a social media sensation after being encouraged by his granddaughter to share his story online, and signs off his daily videos by reminding people to “be kind to one another” and to take on daily struggles “one step at a time… with love from grandad”.
“I keep telling everybody I’m the luckiest person in the world,” John said of his diagnosis, which was discovered after he fell off a ladder at home and suffered fractures to his skull, bleeds on his brain, and broken bones in his neck, back, face and hands.
From there, he was diagnosed with high-grade bladder cancer and cancer in his right kidney.
Speaking about his challenge, he said: “I can’t cure cancer, but there’s got to be something I can do.”
