Community rallies round Hastings man, 40, diagnosed with terminal cancer

Yani Janko had been suffering from poor health since January this year before being diagnosed with bile duct cancer last Thursday (June 8) and given just a year to live.

Friend Jo Chattein has set up a Gofundme page to help raise money towards making memories through days out and so on.

Almost £1,800 has been raised so far as of today (Thursday, June 15) since the page was launched last week.

Jo said: “Back in January 2023 Yani was in a lot of pain in his stomach area and was taken into hospital and given a scan. This showed a tumour on his pancreas, which was removed but he was told he only had a 17 per cent chance of living for next five years.

"He kept having knockbacks regarding the pain he was in and was continually being admitted to the hospital, who then advised him that the cancer is in his bile duct and lymph nodes.

“He and his wife, Janie, met the consultant on June 8 and he was advised the cancer is in his liver now and he had to choose from living six months without chemotherapy or 12 months with treatment.

"They met in 2004 in a club and been together ever since. When they met she had one daughter, who was 10 at the time and he looks on Katie as his own.

"He is from Albania. Janie and Yani got married abroad and Yani had to wait six weeks before returning to the UK to ensure he could become a UK citizen. They have a 15-year-old daughter together, called Rosetta.

"Yani went to night school and took English classes and then did a taxi driver course to become a registered taxi driver. He also did an apprenticeship at college to become a mechanic. There is nothing that can stop this man being a beautiful human being who would do anything for anybody, so this news has devastated us all.

“They will have a tough year ahead and I would like to make it as easy and memorable as I can with the help and support from our family and friends. Yani is very poorly and I don’t want them to worry about anything but spending time with their family and other loved ones.

“Yani and Janie also have a son-in-law, Jamie, and two grandchildren, Jaxon and Arabella.

“Any money raised will be for days out, date nights or maybe a holiday and make everlasting memories.”

The fundraising page can be found at www.gofundme.com/f/make-some-memories.