As some of you may know, Markus has been in and out of hospital over the past couple of months so we wanted to share an update as we have received an overwhelming amount of messages of support, well wishes and offers to help and we’re all extremely grateful. Believe us when we say that none of the comments or messages are missed and we can’t thank you all enough. Due to the inconsistencies with Markus’ memory, he can be a bit hit and miss as to what he has and hasn’t replied to, or who he has or hasn’t spoken with so please don’t be offended if he hasn’t returned your call or message, it’s definitely not intentional and it’s been an incredibly difficult couple of months.

In terms of a backlog of events, back in May, we noticed changes over a weekend in Markus’ short-term memory as well as weight loss over the course of a few weeks which we were concerned about – after some convincing, he agreed to get checked out at A&E where he had a head scan and they found two tumours on his brain. He spent a few nights in the hospital being monitored before returning home and being referred to Salford for further tests and a biopsy.

A couple of weeks on, he had his biopsy and spent two more nights in the hospital before heading home where I’m sure you all saw the posts with his swollen head. We couldn't believe the progress he’d made in such a short space of time but during a routine check-up with his GP a few days later, he took a sudden turn for the worst and was unable to communicate with us which resulted in a return to A&E. Following a scan, they found a small bleed on Markus’ brain, likely a result of the biopsy and he was to be monitored further in the hospital and treated until it settled. A few minutes after the doctor delivered the news, we were moved into a quieter waiting room whilst we waited for a bed and as we entered, Markus suffered a seizure which was a traumatic experience for us all to see but due to Markus’ memory issues, he doesn’t remember anything from that day which looking back, is probably a good thing – although it was dreadful, it couldn’t have happened in a better place as the doctors and nurses were on him within seconds and have been amazing throughout. He then slept for 24 hours as it had taken its toll and within a few days, he started to recover which was amazing to see so quickly. As much as he wanted to be home after already spending two stints in the hospital, he knew deep down he was in the right place.

After 8 nights, Markus was discharged but before he could go back home we were sent straight to Salford for the biopsy results. We’ve all been reluctant to openly share the news but since Markus has posted some of his trips to the Christie Hospital on his Facebook, I’m sure many of you will have put 2 and 2 together. Markus was diagnosed with grade 4 Glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. We are trying to be as positive as we can be, so I won’t post any more info on the condition but feel free to do some research if you want to know. He’s taken the news like a champ and continues to just get on with it with radiotherapy appointments Monday to Friday as well as chemotherapy tablets daily alongside loads of other tablets and medication to control his condition. Despite the news, Markus’ mindset has been incredible which has made things easier for us all to deal with and try to be as normal as we can and make his life as comfortable as possible.

As a result of everything that has happened, Markus is unable to drive and due to the nature of his work, we have been forced to close down his garage and we’re coming up to 11 weeks since he was last in work. It’s been an upsetting time for Markus as well as his brother Alexis who has spent so many hours clearing out the unit which has been a massive help as an era came to an end. We’re currently in the process of ticking jobs off to close down parts of his businesses and reduce his regular outgoings in the long term which we definitely underestimated at the start, but the final costs are adding up in the thousands. We're exploring the possibility of selling his car to cover some of these costs which although it may need to happen, it doesn't make it any easier. This, naturally, has had a huge impact on Markus and all of us as a family, adapting to a new normal as well as the financial implications losing an income and planning for the future. Markus has worked so hard since he was a teenager, doing 6 day working weeks for the most part, favours for his mates and last-minute jobs to make other people’s lives easier and it’s heartbreaking to see everything he’s worked so hard for dwindle due to something outside of his control. The plan was always for Markus to retire on his own terms but we just have no other choice.

We’ve had so many messages offering support as we said, whether that be taking Markus to and from appointments, taking him out for the day, offers to visit as well as support with finances and so many of you are so keen to help in any way you can. We’ve found it a bit embarrassing to reach out to anyone that has offered so we thought it would be easier to create this GoFundMe so that anyone who wants to help is able to and we promise that anything you’re able to contribute will go a long way in ticking off jobs, and giving us the opportunity to do everything he wants to do so we can focus all of our attention on Markus and making sure he has the best quality of life. Please do not feel obliged to contribute - it has just been incredible for us to see the support network that Markus has and the number of people who care and there’s simply not enough hours in the day to come back to you all.

We’re hoping to run this page until 20th August when Markus finishes his radiotherapy and once he rings that bell, we want to show him the generosity of his friends and make sure he knows just how important he is to so many people. We’re just going to share this on Markus’ Facebook and turn off notifications for him so hopefully, he won’t see it and we can surprise him at the end so if you plan on sharing this, please do so privately so it doesn’t pop up on his feed.

Lastly, and most importantly, Markus is doing really well at the moment considering everything that's happened. Treatment is naturally taking a bit out of him and the fatigue hits him when he gets home but he’s taking it in his stride and going about his day as normally as he can. His short-term memory and ability to retain information changes daily but some information does stick and I think he does know how lucky he is to have so many people that care.

Thank you all again for the care and love you have shown so far, it definitely doesn’t go unnoticed to any of us – Markus means so much to us all and we just to make sure he does know that.

Kerry, Jack and George x