A football coach from Kilburn who had to relearn how to walk after a rare cancer went undetected in two MRI scans is joining thousands of Santas walking and running through London to raise funds for charity.
Mat Angels, 38, will lead a team of ten Santas in this week’s Santa in the City walk, joined by his partner, mother and members of his football club. The walk comes after a gruelling two-year journey with chordoma – a rare form of sarcoma cancer so uncommon that it strikes fewer than 60 Britons annually.
Mat’s ordeal began in 2022 when severe back pain forced him to seek medical help. Despite two MRI scans since then, he was eventually diagnosed with a degenerated disc. Mat did physiotherapy and acupuncture, but nothing worked.
‘I wasn’t sleeping. The pain was unbearable,’ Mat recalls. It wasn’t until a third MRI in May 2024 – positioned just a few centimetres lower on his spine – that doctors made a shocking discovery. A week after the scan, Mat received an urgent call with a referral to hospital. A biopsy revealed chordoma at the base of his spine – the area beneath the first two scans. About half of all chordoma cases in the UK occur at the base of the spine, making Mat’s case a stark reminder of the need for comprehensive scanning protocols.
‘I remember my girlfriend asking how a golf ball-sized tumour could be missed? But we learned the tumour was just below where the normal MRI ends.’ By the time the tumour was discovered in May 2024 – two years after Mat first sought help – it had grown to press against crucial nerves controlling bladder and bowel function.
Mat underwent major surgery at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) in August 2024 to remove the tumour. Before that, he required a temporary stoma bag fitted in July. He spent two months in hospital, unable to walk or lie on his back, eventually learning to walk again – a devastating blow for someone whose life revolved around football.
‘I’m very grateful for the doctors and nurses at the RNOH who continue to take care of me,’ Mat says about his experience. ‘I’ve seen first-hand the tireless work they do day and night.
‘Prior to being in their care, I believe, if it had been picked up earlier, a lot of my nerves could have been saved.’ The surgery left him with nerve loss that still affects his bladder and bowel function. Mat was discharged on 1 November last year and has slowly rebuilt his strength. In July this year, his stoma bag was removed, though adjusting to his body’s new reality proved challenging. He is now cancer-free but must undergo scans every three months to monitor for recurrence.
The co-owner of Sporting Duet Academy, a football club running for 21 years, Mat has returned to coaching but must carefully manage his energy levels and can no longer work long hours.
His girlfriend, Bernie, emphasises the importance of proper scanning protocols: ‘The standard MRI misses this particular subtype of sarcoma. MRIs need to take account for that extra little bit of your spine. Those nerves had to be sacrificed because the tumour had gotten large enough to press against them.’
Mat’s advice to others is clear: ‘Always listen to your body. I never for a second thought it could be cancer when I was having those back pains. Always get a second opinion. Do not take these things lightly.’
He adds: ‘Don’t go crazy on ChatGPT – reach out to organisations like Sarcoma UK and speak with other people who’ve gone through this. There is such little information about these nuanced subtypes.’
Team Mat’s Angels will don their Santa suits for the Santa in the City walk, determined to raise awareness of sarcoma and funds for more research so others don’t face the same delays in diagnosis.
Helen Stradling, Sarcoma UK’s Support Line Manager, said: ‘Mat’s story highlights the critical importance of thorough and careful MRI scanning, particularly when dealing with symptoms that persist despite initial investigations. Chordomas are incredibly rare and, as Mat’s case demonstrates, comprehensive scanning of the entire spinal region is essential to avoid missed diagnoses that can have life-changing consequences. We’re enormously grateful to Mat, Bernie and their team for taking part in Santa in the City. By sharing his story and raising vital funds for Sarcoma UK, Mat is helping us continue our work to raise awareness of sarcoma, support patients and families, and fund research into these rare cancers. Every Santa suit worn this week represents hope for better outcomes for future patients.’
Santa in the City is on 2, 3 and 4 December with the starting point being St Paul’s Cathedral at 7pm. For more information go to: www.santainthecity.co.uk
Mat’s Angels have so far raised over £2,000. The link to donate to them can be found at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/2e7a8-raising-money-for-sarcoma-uk
