On the first anniversary of Richmond-based actor and model Nick Baldev’s death, his family and friends are coming together to honour his memory by raising awareness about bowel cancer and encouraging support for ongoing research and treatment of the disease.
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide, accounting for approximately 10% of all cancer cases and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide yet its symptoms are still being missed.
Nick Baldev, affectionately known to most as ‘Big Nick’, lived life to the fullest before passing away from bowel cancer at the age of 40. For most of his adult life, Nick lived with an Inflammatory Bowel Disease called Colitis which was first diagnosed at age 17. Colitis is an inflammation of the lining of the bowel which stress and certain foods can aggravate. However, Nick managed his symptoms by eating wholesome meals cooked from scratch and lived life to the full in spite of his condition.
In early 2023, Nick sought advice from a GP in London after experiencing a flare-up of symptoms associated with Colitis. He was prescribed a steroid to treat those symptoms and was subsequently put on a repeat prescription, but was not referred for any tests to delve deeper into whether those symptoms were truly related to his Colitis.
By the beginning of June 2023, those symptoms had not improved and Nick pushed for a hospital appointment. On 19 June, Nick underwent a colonoscopy at a London hospital (which involves a flexible camera being placed inside the bottom in order to examine the bowel) to get a better understanding of what had caused the apparent Colitis flare-up. The colonoscopy procedure identified a large lump in Nick’s bowel and he was sent for an urgent MRI and CT scan on 21 June 2023. By 25 June 2023, Nick had tragically passed away from a 10cm tumour in the colon and advanced cancer.
In Nick’s honour, his family has raised nearly £7,000 for us, to support bowel cancer research and treatments and we are very grateful.
Nick Baldev’s mum holds a picture of Nick at the site where his ashes are scattered one year after his death
To help raise awareness, we have released details of bowel cancer symptoms to allow others to catch it early, which can lead to quick and early intervention and a positive outcome:
Persistent changes in bowel habits, such as diarrhoea, constipation or thin stools
- Blood in the stool
- Unexplained weight loss
- Persistent abdominal pain or discomfort
- Fatigue
- IBD flare-ups
“We miss Nick every day, and it’s important for us to do something positive in his memory,” said Rajan Baldev. “By raising awareness and funds, we hope to prevent other families from experiencing the heartbreak we’ve endured.”
To support this vital cause, please visit Nick Baldev’s JustGiving page here.
You can also see news of Nick’s anniversary and story on news website London Daily News here.