Doctor’s gave Elliot a 20 per cent chance that he could die from surgery
A dad who thought his headaches were caused by the stress of being a new father was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour. Elliot Godfrey, 42, started suffering from migraines after returning from a holiday in Mexico this March, describing his head as feeling “compressed.”
His condition became apparent to friends during his son Aein’s first birthday party shortly after their return to the UK. The next day, Elliot’s symptoms worsened, prompting a visit to Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
A CT scan revealed abnormalities, leading to an urgent transfer to John Radcliffe Hospital via ambulance. On April 16, Elliot received a diagnosis of stage four glioblastoma – an aggressive form of brain cancer known for its resistance and tendency to recur if not treated.
Elliot, from Waddesdon in Buckinghamshire, said: “They gave me a 20 per cent chance that I could die from surgery. Sitting there with my family that was obviously pretty devastating and quite scary. I Googled it [his condition] and the first thing I saw was a picture of Arnold Schwarzenegger as terminator.
“They literally called it the terminator cancer – the survival rates and the reality of living with this hit really hard.” He initially attributed the headaches to the stress and lack of sleep associated with being a new father.
Just two days post-diagnosis, Elliot underwent brain surgery, which successfully removed 95 per cent of the tumour. Since the operation, the headaches have stopped.
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Elliot, a former professional golfer who now runs a golf simulation business, recalled: “When I got home, my son Aein’s one-year-old birthday balloon was still there. I sat there, and I thought ‘will I get to see two, will I get to see four? I just want to be here for as long as possible for him.
“One of the hardest things is you’re processing it yourself and also seeing all the people that you love going through trauma. You kind of feel guilty, like you’ve let everybody down.”
He reflected on the support of his family throughout his ordeal. “I’m incredibly lucky to have my network around me,” he said.
“I didn’t think I could love my wife Jess anymore but how much she’s been there for me every single day is overwhelming. She was already the love of my life, but she’s gone up a tier or two.”
Currently, Elliot is undergoing a six-week regimen of both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. After experiencing hair loss, Elliot was driven to shave his head along with his brother and friends in solidarity.
He added: “I’m doing absolutely everything I can to increase my chances of long-term survival. Because of my professional sports person attitude, I’ve turned this into my life.
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“I’ve gone onto a diet; I’m out running; I’m training. We have to keep our foot on the gas – I’m trying to take myself as far into the expected survival as I can because I can’t bear to think that’s how long I’ve got.
“Doctors say if they didn’t have my notes, they wouldn’t believe I had a glioblastoma. I feel like for someone with a glioblastoma, grade four, unmethylated, wild type, I’m doing a pretty good job – just trying to keep positive energy and kill it with kindness.”
As he contends with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, Elliot is exploring further avenues. Elliot describes NHS care as “amazing”, yet notes that it merely slows the tumour’s progression, prompting his search for international alternatives.
After amassing more than £141,000 through donations, Elliot’s goal is to seek the latest therapies in Germany. One approach, Tumour Treating Fields, involves an 18-hour-a-day wearable battery-powered cap disrupting cancer cell division, while another, Dendritic Cell Vaccine Therapy, aims to train the immune system to target cancer cells.
While these medical innovations have seen encouraging outcomes in trials, they’re still not routinely available on the NHS. Elliot regards these advances as hopeful “glimmers of light” in his fight and is profoundly grateful for the financial support received.
He said: “The GoFundMe page was something that was quite hard to do because I hate asking for help, but it has restored my faith in humanity. You read about all the bad things that happen in the world, but people are kind and people do want to help each other.”
To donate to Elliot’s cause, you can visit his Go Fund Me here.