Help Daniel Create Magical Memories with His Children
My name is Daniel. I’m 35 years old, a partner, and a proud dad to three young children.
In August 2024, after months of debilitating headaches and repeated visits to my GP, I suddenly collapsed at a friend’s house. I was rushed to the QE Hospital, where doctors discovered a 5.2cm x 4.1cm tumour on my brain.
Within hours of arriving, I was taken into a 9-hour emergency operation to remove as much of the tumour as possible. I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye to my family. I didn’t fully understand what was happening — only that I was going into surgery. My family were told it was touch and go. Without surgery, I would likely have died within days.
In September, we received the devastating news: the tumour is cancerous — a Stage 4 Glioma. It is terminal.
Chemotherapy would unfortunately be ineffective. I underwent six weeks of intense radiotherapy, and my consultant was able to secure me a place on a clinical trial at The Christie Centre in Manchester, which I attend every eight weeks. We don’t know whether I’m receiving the full trial drug, a partial dose, or a placebo — but I will continue fighting for as long as I can.
I have already surpassed the small survival chances for the first 12 months, and I am determined to keep going.
Right now, what matters most to me is making memories with my family — memories they can hold onto forever.
If I could do one truly special thing, it would be to take my family to America to experience Disney — to see my children’s faces light up, to give them pure joy in the middle of something so difficult. If I am not cleared to fly at the time, we would look at a Disney Cruise as an alternative.
I simply want to give them something magical. Something unforgettable. Something beautiful to hold onto.
We have priced the trip and are aiming to raise £14,000 to cover the holiday and some spending money for the children. It has taken me a long time to set this up due to pride, but I am putting that aside for my family.
If I do nothing else with the time I have left, I will be the happiest man alive to experience this with my children.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. Any support — big or small — truly means the world to us.