Still, remaining optimistic throughout his treatment wasn't always easy.
In the months that followed, Newell had a radical right orchiectomy, which is the surgical removal of the right testicle. The surgery revealed that he had embryonal carcinoma, a type of testicular cancer that tends to spread rapidly to other parts of the body.
A follow-up scan showed his cancer had metastasized to his lungs, abdomen and the region behind his heart. To destroy the malignant cells that spread beyond the testicles, Newell was treated with BEP (bleomycin, etoposide and platinum, or cisplatin), a combination of three chemotherapy drugs.
"The treatment works amazingly and killed all the cancer," Newell said. "But it's not an easy track. It takes the energy out of you and it messed up my heart a little bit."
Heart problems rapid heartbeat and heart attack are two are occasional side effects of BEP, according to Cancer Research UK.