There are few people who could be told they face permanently losing their voice yet keep a smile on their face.

Fewer still who continue to look on the bright side when, in just a week's time, they could end up living a life reliant on oxygen.

But dad-of-three Alistair Baldwin, from Broadstairs, is doing just that.

The 32-year-old has two large tumours crushing his windpipe, threatening to suffocate him, and he is booked in for potentially life-changing surgery on August 3.

While it could save his life, it comes with huge risks - including losing his vocal chords and the majority of one of his lungs.

But the business owner, who fought testicular cancer three years ago and has since undergone five operations to remove tumours around his heart, abdomen, neck, back and spine, is staying positive.

"I was told last time there was an 80% chance I would end up in a wheelchair and I'm not," he said.

"This is possibly life-changing, if not life-threatening, surgery, but what can I do other than keep on going and deal with what happens if it happens?

"It may not and right now I'm trying not to dwell on that.

"I have three children, they're my focus, and keeping a smile on my face is how I've always been. You've just got to get on with it.

"It would be incredibly hard if I ended up on oxygen and if I couldn't speak, but I'm not planning for that to happen. We'll cross that bridge if we need to.

"I've come through similar things, let's carry on smiling and get through this."

Mr Baldwin, who runs Holidays Lets in Kent, which has only just reopened after lockdown, admits he has fleetingly wondered what would happen if he couldn't speak.

He said: "I did stop and think, 'what would I do?' I mean, somehow I would find a way to communicate, maybe through a laptop.

"Look at Stephen Hawking and how he communicated. There will be something out there."

Mr Baldwin, who lives with wife Gemma, their three children and his mum Lorraine, was just 29 when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

He admits now he had no idea it affected men so young.

"Nobody expects at 29 years of age to be diagnosed with that, but when you read up on it you realise that it can happen from 15 or 16 and is most prominent at up to 30 years of age," he said.

"The worst thing is people don't realise and I want to get that out there.

"There is a cancer referral scheme which is an NHS pathway that if you think you've got cancer you can have an appointment and be diagnosed within two weeks."

Mr Baldwin, whose children are five, 10 and 12, says after beating testicular cancer he developed teratoma differentiated, which are growths treated like aggressive cancer.

"They are basically good cells in the wrong place," he said.

"They are incredibly rare - 30-odd in a million chance of getting them and, I'm not going to lie, I'd rather have won the lottery.

"They are cells which escaped from the testes when they operated and I've had five ops to remove them but they're back. I found out three weeks ago.

"These are around the windpipe, just under the collarbone, a 60mm tumour and a 70mm tumour either side.

"With the operation there's a massively high risk of loss of vocal chords, but they won't know until they bring me round,

"I was told to add the five operations I've had before and double it and that's the risk.

"I've got three children and I said to my consultant, 'get me through this so I can see my kids grow up'. He says, 'we'll fix you, don't worry'."

Mr Baldwin says he is hugely grateful to the NHS, Macmillan and his GP surgery East Cliff Practice in Ramsgate.

He has raised almost £8,000 for Macmillan and more recently managed to get hold of 300 protective suits for NHS staff working at the local Covid-19 hotsite.

"The NHS has done so much for me, I wanted to give something back," he said.

"I'm also grateful for all the people who donate blood as I've had five transfusions which have saved my life - I'm passionate about encouraging people to donate."

Mr Baldwin, whose father died of cancer, says he discovered this week that close family friend Karen Huckstep had set up a fundraiser to help the family financially over the next few months.

"She said to me, 'you've just faced the worst three years of your life, you survived through the skin of your teeth financially last time and this time people want to help, so let them help'," he said.

"I'm quite proud so it's difficult to accept."

But Mrs Huckstep says Mr Baldwin is caring and selfless and deserves the support.

"He'll do anything for anyone at the drop of a hat and so I want to do the same for him and give him that help back," she added.

To see the fundraiser click here.

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