He had just returned from an unforgettable holiday in the Simpson Desert with partner Lily Langham, ready to start back at work, when a lose of appetite and night sweats worried the 23-year-old from Glenlyon.

He underwent a series of tests in Ballarat and Melbourne last October and was told he had Hodgkins Lymphoma, cancer of the lymphoid tissue.

"It took me by surprise," Mr Baker said. "The doctors said I had three years to live if it wasn't treated. That was a wake-up call."

On top of 12 doses of chemotherapy, Mr Baker turned to Chinese medicine and organic food to help stabilise his white blood cell count.

"There are a lot of things involved in having cancer. I wouldn't wish it on anyone," Mr Baker said.

"I had bad reactions to the chemotherapy and was sick after each treatment, which left me in bed four to five days because I was so weak."

Mr Baker and Ms Langham were overwhelmed with the support from friends and family during the ordeal.

"We didn't know what to say. It was pretty special what they did," Ms Langham said.

Mr Baker's ordeal isn't over yet.

Every three months he has to have a PET scan and he has to wait two years before the all clear.

"I'm worse now than what I was when I was diagnosed. After being cleared for two years I have a 85 per cent chance it's cured," he said.

"I respect life better. Family and friends come before anything."