A dad-of-four who went to see his GP after suffering a stomach ache was told he had stage-four bowel cancer just weeks later.

Kyle Ingram-Baldwin, from Minster near Ramsgate, had no other symptoms before receiving the devastating diagnosis.

The 40-year-old has gone through six rounds of chemo and another, more targeted course, but these have not been able to get the cancer - which spread to his liver - under control.

But he insists he is “not prepared to give up” and more than £13,000 has already been raised towards finding alternative treatments - even if that means going abroad.

Mr Ingram-Baldwin told KentOnline: “It's really hard to put into words, because I love my kids so much.

“You just worry about their future.

“They've got the best mum in the world, and I genuinely mean that. My wife's incredible.”

The ordeal began in October when he sought his doctor’s advice after suffering with abdominal discomfort for a couple of weeks.

“I didn’t think a lot of it, but I thought I’d better get it checked out,” he said.

“I went to see my local GP and he thought it was something stress-related, as I'm sure you would at my age.

“My blood tests came back slightly deranged with regards to things like liver function.

“The suspicion at the time was gallstones, which obviously it wasn't.

“They said to me, if your pain gets any worse, you need to go to A&E because it would indicate there's probably a more significant issue.

“The following Friday, I ended up there.”

An ultrasound found bulges on his liver, and a CT scan followed, before a call into a room of doctors.

“They told me that I've got cancer that's spread,” he recalled.

“I was like, wow, okay. I didn't expect that, but you know, it is what it is.

“I had a colonoscopy. I had a liver biopsy - an absolutely awful thing. I wouldn't recommend that to my worst enemy.”

It was two weeks later when he was told he had stage-four bowel cancer - meaning the disease is at an advanced stage and has spread to other parts of his body.

The diagnosis has put a strain on the dad, his wife Becky, and his children aged 12, nine, three and one.

He explained: “I was thinking, what's going on here? What have I done wrong?

“I was putting the blame on my own feet and worrying about the future for my wife and kids.

“That's probably the hardest thing - the mental side.

“Don't get me wrong, the physical is not funny either, but it’s a mental challenge.”

Mr Ingram-Baldwin helps run the Men's Mental Health Support Talking Football project in Minster, which has been a great help.

He says his employer Automatic Retailing - a wholesale supplier for vending machines - has been “amazing”.

But the Liverpool fan has been left with gruelling side effects.

He spent two nights in a hospital corridor with a suspected infection, and suffers from ascites - a build-up of fluid in the abdomen.

He is currently not on any active treatment - something he finds worrying - but has another round planned.

However, doctors have admitted they do not know if it will work.

Mr Ingram-Baldwin wants to encourage others to get checked out urgently if something doesn’t feel right.

“I didn't present with any of the conventional symptoms,” he said.

“If you think anything's wrong, please press your GP and go get it checked, because I genuinely wouldn't want anyone being in my position.”

A GoFundMe with a target of £50,000 has now been started to look into private treatments and second opinions.

Mr Ingram-Baldwin said: “Becky shouldn't have to do this by herself. I’m not prepared to give up.

“I've looked into costs on things. Depending on how specialist the doctor you see is, it can cost up to £700 for a second opinion alone.

“I’m looking into getting alternative treatments in different areas that aren't in Kent - places like Royal Marsden and London hospitals, and Cambridge.

“Then there's even potentially going abroad for treatment.

“While my target is incredibly ambitious, it's probably a very realistic figure as well.”

He has been “blown away” by the response to the fundraiser.

“It’s done £11,000 in three days, which is beyond my wildest dreams,” he added.

“I thought I'd be sitting here with £150, maybe, if I was lucky.

“It gives me a little bit of hope.”