A dad who noticed his grip was weakening and found himself frequently dropping things has been diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour.
Gearoid Fox, 44, made several trips to his doctors only to be told he was suffering from a trapped nerve - but deep down, he knew it was more serious. The business owner's mother died of a brain tumour and on October 26 last year, several weeks after his first GP appointment, Gearoid's worst fears were confirmed when a CT scan revealed he had an aggressive glioma tumour.
A glioma is a type of tumour that forms when glial cells, which support and aid the functioning of nerve cells in the nervous system, grow uncontrollably. While gliomas typically develop in the brain, they can also form in the spinal cord.
Gearoid keot dropping things and experienced numbness down the left side of his body last year. The dad, who lives with his children and partner Maeve in Levenshulme, Manchester, said: "I knew something wasn't right. My mother had the same one. She died of a brain tumour so I knew the symptoms myself but doctors were dismissive of them."
Gearoid underwent an operation that managed to remove a whopping 95 per cent of his tumour. Tragically, the remaining five per cent has embedded itself into his brain, making it impossible to extract without advanced treatment.
Subsequent examinations revealed that the residual tumour was aggressive and unresponsive to standard chemotherapy and radiation therapies. In light of this, Gearoid has been put on a more rigorous chemotherapy regimen in hopes of more effective outcomes, Manchester Evening News reports.
However, his family is actively seeking alternative treatments, including the possibility of enrolling Gearoid in clinical trials or pursuing immunotherapy in Germany.
They even considered a specific treatment in the US, but the staggering cost is more than $710,000 (£540,000). Gearoid added: "The treatment they give you in the UK isn't the most advanced. There is more treatment available. This type of tumour grows into the brain. All they can ever do is manage it, but there are treatments that can kill it."
"I've been lucky enough and not been sick [through chemotherapy]. I've managed to just get on with it. It is what it is. Crying about it isn't going to change it. I've been spending a lot more time with my daughters. There's definitely been a positive side to it."
To support Gearoid's fight, a fundraising campaign has been launched, which has so far collected £21,045 towards a £50,000 goal.