Cancer survivor Jake Bailey reveals the real struggles 
LAURA BAKER Last updated 07:55, May 10 2017
Cancer survivor Jake Bailey, who captured the world with his heart-wrenching speech as head boy of Christchurch Boys’ High School, is releasing a book.
In November 2015, the teenager delivered a speech at his school’s prize~ giving.
It coincided with his 5th day of chemotherapy for Burkitts non-Hodgkinson lymphoma, a rare and aggressive cancer. If left untreated… he would have died within three weeks. Bailey is in remission and is working to teach others the lessons he learnt while facing death.
Bailey’s new book has given him closure on his battle with cancer
The teen says he found closure in writing the book
Jake Bailey: What Cancer Taught Me.
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“It helped me to overcome those memories . . . It was an important part of closure.”
A ghostwriter worked with the now 19-year-old to piece together a collection of ideas he wrote during his three-month stay in the isolation room at Christchurch Hospital’s bone marrow transplant unit.
It reveals some of his darkest moments during the battle with stage four cancer in his kidneys, eye sockets, nasal passage, brain membrane, bone marrow, spinal fluid, cheek and jaw.
“The book shows a much more human side of me than perhaps the orchestrated, edited version of me you might see in interviews. It’s a very stripped-back, real, honest account of what life was like before, during and after my cancer.”
When doctors told him he was in remission, he did not feel “happy, lucky, empowered or strong or brave”.
“I felt like the battle was only really beginning, because my life had been tipped upside down.”
Ahead of the private book launch this Friday, Bailey flew into his hometown from the Gold Coast where he now lives leading a career as an inspirational speaker.
Since making the famous speech that launched him into the public spotlight Bailey has delivered more than 40 motivational speeches at schools and corporate events in New Zealand and Australia.
“I feel really passionate about helping other people… I really enjoy sharing what I’ve learnt and connecting with people . . . I’ve found it incredibly rewarding.
“My favourite part is having people come up and talk to me after and say ‘you’ve changed my outlook’ . . . that’s the coolest thing in the world I reckon.”
Living a healthy lifestyle and staying in remission is his top priority. He is not afraid to admit that he did not treat his body well before his diagnosis.
“I think it’s important to acknowledge that and to tell other people my age to look at how they are treating their bodies.”
Today, he is careful with what he eats, puts an emphasis on exercise and gets plenty of rest.
Bailey said he learnt to “look for the little bits of beauty and the awesome moments in every day”.
“Happiness is the special moments you spend with friends or family in a normal week.”
JAKE BAILEY had just found out the most aggressive form of cancer known to science was ravaging through his body when he gave this inspiring, heart-breaking speech to his classmates.
”Then they told me I wouldn’t be here tonight to deliver that speech”‘: Mr Bailey is undergoing intensive chemotherapy treatments, and was allowed a surprise break from the hospital. “‘Here’s the thing, none of us get out of life alive, so be gallant, be great, be gracious and be grateful for the opportunities you have.”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3308888/Christchurch-Boy-s-High-School-student-Jake-Bailey-
delivers-heartwrenching-speech-classmates-diagnosed-deadly-cancer-week-high-school-graduation.html
Preview How to Live a Life of Gratitude | Jake Bailey | Goalcast
‘We don’t know where we might end up, or when we might end up.’ Quoting Jim Rohn, he went on to say: ‘Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else’s hands, but not you.’ Jake Bailey is your average teenager who went to the dentist, and then his life changed forever. In this speech, he shares hard-won wisdom on the importance of gratitude