Josh Komen: A story of epic survival and how a Mum’s love pulled him back from the brink

Josh Komen was a gun athlete with aspirations to run the 800 metres for New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games - until a cancer diagnosis changed everything.

Josh's life was tipped on its head. He spent five years in Australia getting specialised treatment for Graft-versus-Host-Disease after a stem cell transplant. His new immune system was attacking his body. He suffered 12 heart attacks in Melbourne. At his lowest, Josh nearly took his own life - saved only by the love of his Mum.

Josh has had to beat the odds many times to become the man, husband, and father he is today - drawing on an inner strength he didn't think he had to overcome not only cancer, but many other hurdles his body threw at him. Viktor Frankl's book Man's Search for Meaning has become his philosophy - learning that you can still choose your attitude, even when everything else is stripped away.

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