When Gemma’s husband started suspecting her of having an affair, she thought he was having a midlife crisis or a mental breakdown – but the reality was much worse
A dad died after a brain tumour left him convinced his wife was having an affair.
Andy Hampton, 55, started experiencing memory loss, confusion and fatigue but thought it was linked to his mental health. Over time he became increasingly paranoid — suspecting his wife Gemma, 37, was having an affair.
After a breakdown — struggling with brain fog and an overwhelming sense of depression — in May 2023 he was diagnosed with an infection. But when the symptoms continued, the dad-of-four went back to the GP and a scan revealed a mass on his brain the size of a satsuma.
He was diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma and initially given three months to live. He surpassed this but sadly passed away in May 2025.
Gemma, from Sturminster Newton, Dorset, said: “I thought Andy was having a midlife crisis or a mental breakdown. His paranoia caused him to believe things that weren’t true.
“He even suspected I was having an affair. He kept saying he knew it was all in his head, but he couldn’t stop the thoughts.” Andy, who worked as a land agent for more than two decades, was initially misdiagnosed with an infection by his GP in May 2023.
But after he began suffering headaches that made him physically sick, he was referred for a CT scan at Dorset County Hospital. It revealed a mass on his brain and he was urgently transferred to Southampton General for an MRI.
Scans showed the tumour measured 7.5cm by 8.1cm and he was diagnosed with grade 4 glioblastoma — a fast-growing and lethal brain cancer.
Gemma said: “The initial prognosis was devastating, doctors told us that Andy only had three months to live, I was in shock, we were both speechless, they gave us leaflets but Andy didn’t want to read them, he just shut down.
“In some ways it was a relief to know what we were experiencing wasn’t our imagination or a breakdown in our marriage. We were determined to fight it.”
Andy had 95% of the tumour surgically removed on May 31, 2023, followed by six weeks of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. But he experienced complications following the operation – facial seizures, and a kidney infection.
Gemma said: “Recovery had its setbacks, but we were so pleased the surgery went well we felt that the worst was over, and we could somehow get back to normal.
“When we got back home, Andy had changed. He wasn’t the man I married, not because he didn’t love us anymore, but because his brain no longer allowed him to show it.”
But he began to slowly recover and had three monthly scans to monitor his condition. Gemma said: “Everything was ok for a while, then during Christmas 2024, Andy started acting out of character again, every day was different, and we couldn’t work out what was wrong.”
A routine scan in January this year showed the tumour hadn’t grown but fluid was building up on his brain, causing his personality changes. He had a second operation in February to fit a shunt to relieve the pressure, but his health continued to decline.
Andy had a seizure that lasted three hours and an MRI scan revealed he had a bleed in his brain, two new tumours, and blood clots in his lungs.
Gemma said: “That is when my whole world crashed, I didn’t know what to say or do, I just felt helpless. I was holding it together the best I could to be there for Andy. But I knew I was losing him. We were naive to think that because they removed most of the tumour Andy would be OK. We were dreadfully wrong.”
He died on May 6, 2025 — leaving behind Gemma and their four children — Finn, 26, Alisha, 23, Isabelle, five, and Henley, three. Gemma said: “Andy was fit, strong, and full of life. We should have been enjoying this chapter of parenthood together.
“A glioblastoma doesn’t give families time, it steals futures. The government must do more; it is shocking to know that just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours since records began in 2002. We need more research, faster diagnoses, and real hope. People like Andy deserve more than a death sentence.”
Gemma and her children will take part in the Walk of Hope this year to raise money for Brain Tumour Research and campaign for more funding and earlier diagnoses.
Letty Greenfield, Community Development Manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Andy’s story is heartbreakingly common. Glioblastoma is one of the most complex and underfunded areas in cancer research.
“We urgently need the government to increase investment so we can improve early diagnosis, develop better treatments, and ultimately find a cure.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Gemma and the Hampton family for sharing their story and continuing to fundraise during such a difficult time.”