A teenager has thanked his eagle-eyed barber after he spotted an undetected rare cancer growing on his neck.
Owen Norgrove, from Ludlow, Shropshire, had popped in to see Turkish stylist Firat Davutoglu for a quick freshening up after a long day working as a farming apprentice.
But while taking his razor to the back of the 17-year-old’s head, Mr Davutoglu spotted a peculiar lump on the back of his client’s head which he advised to ‘get checked out’.
Concerned at his barber’s discovery, Owen visited his GP who quickly referred him to a specialist.
And after a series of tests, the teenager was devastated to be told he had Hodgkin lymphoma – an uncommon form of the disease which forms in the lymphatic system.
The diagnosis last January turned Owen and his family’s lives upside down and plunged him into intensive rounds of chemotherapy.
Now, more than a year and a half since his diagnosis, Owen is in remission and has reunited with his barber for a first haircut since taking his life-saving advice.
Recalling the last time he sat in Mr Davutoglu’s chair, the 17-year-old said: ‘I came to the barber as I do every few weeks.
Owen Norgrove (right) had popped in to see Firat Davutoglu (left) for a quick freshening up – when the barber discovered a cancerous lump on his neck
Owen (above) was told the lump was Hodgkin lymphoma, an uncommon form of cancer
The 17-year-old has reunited with his barber for a first haircut since taking his life-saving advice
‘Suddenly Firat stopped and said to me “do you realise you’ve got a lump on your neck? You might want to get that checked by a doctor”.
‘I’m very grateful that the barber noticed the lump on my neck. He didn’t have to do it and it could’ve led onto more serious things.’
Mr Davutoglu, who runs New Styles barbers in the medieval market town, looked delighted to have his client back in his shop in better health.
Speaking about the last time Owen had been sat in front of the mirror, the barber said he spotted a large amount of swelling on the right of the teenager’s neck.
He added: ‘I asked what it was, he said he didn’t know and I got the mirror and he said he hadn’t seen it before. I told him “mate, you should go see the doctor”.
Mr Davutoglu said he didn’t see Owen for ‘five or six months’ after that day.
The barber continued: ‘He came with his dad and I didn’t remember him, because he had chemotherapy and had no hair. His dad told me the story and I felt emotional.
‘He won the cancer and that’s what’s important now. He’s clear and I hope he’s going to have a long life, healthy, and never have to see the hospital or doctors again.’
The diagnosis last January plunged Owen (above) into intensive rounds of chemotherapy
Mr Davutoglu said he didn’t see Owen for ‘five or six months’ after telling him about the lump
The barber said he didn’t recognise Owen without hair when he visited his shop with his dad
Owen’s now-relieved mum Hayley, 45, said her son’s cancer diagnosis rocked their family.
She said: ‘He didn’t get the diagnosis until January last year. Once we saw it, it did start to grow. By the time he was diagnosed it was a sizable lump in his neck.
‘Firat really helped Owen have the cancer diagnosed much quicker so he could start treatment sooner.’
Ms Norgrove also told how watching her son struggle with an immune system which had been ‘reduced to zero’ was a ‘brutal’ experience.
She continued: ‘You just don’t expect cancer at that age, it was a shock for everyone.
‘But everyone rallied around and we had a strong support network. With his age and resilience, his body fought back.
‘He’s a keen rugby player and a farmer so that helped!’
