The man’s daughter, Connie Hodgkinson, now calls the choking incident a “blessing in disguise”
NEED TO KNOW
- Colin Hodgkinson, 66, had struggled with swallowing problems for more than a year before choking on tea and passing out
- Medical tests performed after the incident revealed masses in his neck and throat, and he was diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer
- Colin’s daughter, Connie Hodgkinson, says the choking episode may have “saved his life” and is urging others to keep pushing for answers when something feels wrong
A woman says her father’s frightening choking episode may have ultimately “saved his life” after the incident led doctors to discover he had cancer.
Connie Hodgkinson of Blacon, England, said her father, Colin Hodgkinson, had been experiencing problems with his throat and difficulty swallowing since 2025, according to Kennedy News and Media.
“He’s been having problems with his throat and swallowing for well over a year now, and he had been going to the doctors,” Connie said, per the outlet.
She said Colin, 66, had also developed ulcers on his tongue that affected his speech, but doctors had not been able to determine what was causing his symptoms.
“They were just giving him antibiotics and cream because he had got ulcers on his tongue, which was affecting his speech, and they kept just giving him antibiotics,” she said. “They were unsure [what it was].”
Connie said she had repeatedly asked for her father to be referred to a specialist, especially because his swallowing issues had caused him to lose “loads” of weight.
“I’d been asking them for about a year to transfer him to the SALT [Speech and Language Therapy] team at the hospital to find out why he’s not swallowing properly,” she recalled.
“It was like [food and drink] was getting stuck when he was eating and drinking,” she added.
Then, on July 5, 2026, Colin’s ongoing swallowing problems took a frightening turn when he experienced a choking incident while visiting Connie at her home.
“I made him a cup of tea, and it never went down his food pipe, it went into his airway,” she said. “He started coughing and he was holding it so it didn’t come out on the floor.”
Colin headed toward the kitchen, where he suddenly lost consciousness.
“He walked from my living room to the kitchen and when he got in the kitchen he passed out and he hit the radiator and split his head open,” Connie said.
“My dad can’t remember falling. All he can remember is waking up to me screaming, saying, ‘Dad,’ ” she continued. “It was horrible.”
Connie said the moment left her fearing the worst.
“I’ve never ever witnessed anything like that in my life. It was horrible. I just can’t even explain it,” she said. “With him falling, I thought I had lost my dad.”
Colin was taken to the hospital to have the injury to his head treated. While he was there, staff noticed that he was struggling to swallow, at which point Connie said the SALT team became involved.
An MRI revealed a mass on Colin’s neck and another on his throat. A biopsy then showed he had oropharyngeal carcinoma, a form of cancer that affects the throat.
According to the American Cancer Society, the average age of diagnosis for oropharyngeal carcinoma is 64, though 20% of cases are diagnosed in people under the age of 55.
Colin’s family does not yet know how advanced his cancer is, but he is expected to undergo chemotherapy and may require surgery.
Looking back, Connie believes the choking incident may have been the event that finally led to answers.
“It’s a blessing in disguise. It might have saved his life,” she said.
She also expressed frustration that her father’s symptoms had not been investigated sooner and is now urging others to advocate for themselves when they believe something is wrong.
“[My advice is] if something’s not right, just keep pushing for answers,” she said.
Connie has since launched a verified GoFundMe in the hopes of taking her father on a family vacation to Cornwall before he begins treatment.
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“Before we begin this long and difficult journey, I would love to raise enough money to give my dad the chance to make precious memories by taking a holiday with his children,” Connie wrote on the fundraising page, adding that his youngest child is just 8 years old.
“Any donation, no matter how small, would mean the world to our family. If you’re unable to donate, simply sharing this fundraiser would help more than you know,” she added.
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