Gavin White from England led an ordinary life until the moment he escaped they began to develop subtle but disturbing symptoms. What at first seemed like pre-vacation fatigue has turned out to be one of the most aggressive diseases today. The main warning sign was surprisingly “unquenchable thirst”which they accompanied occasional headaches, confusion and blurred vision, writes
The real turning point came in July 2023 during a family vacation in Greece, when Gavin suddenly developed a strong seizure. After returning to the UK, scan results at the hospital revealed the harsh truth – glioblastóm. It’s about an extremely aggressive type of brain tumor where doctors gave Gavin only six to fourteen months to live.
But Gavin refused to give up. He underwent difficult treatment, which included awake craniotomy (brain surgery in which the patient is conscious so that the doctors do not damage the speech and motor centers), radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Today, his condition is stabilized, but the diagnosis radically changed his view of time. “It all happened so fast. I was told I only had a few months to live. It was pretty straightforward but I never give up and I’m doing what I can to stay positive and raise money for research.” says Gavin.
“I basically live my life in three-month stretches from one scan to the next because I always know there’s a good chance it will come back at some point. I take each day as it comes,” adds Gavin.
Despite his serious condition, Gavin decided to turn his personal struggle into public assistance. Although he had no athletic ambitions before his diagnosis, he started running marathons. It helps him not only physically, but especially mentally. To date, he has raised more than 100 thousand euros.
“It keeps me mentally busy and physically fit during treatment. When I was diagnosed with the tumor, all I heard about it was bleak. Researchers are really trying to find a solution, but at the end of the day, it’s all about money. Other cancers have benefited from increased funding, now is the time for brain tumors” he explains his motivation.
Glioblastoma is the most common and at the same time the deadliest brain tumor in adults. Despite technological advances, standard treatment has not changed significantly since the turn of the millennium. The tumor is known for its ability to grow at an extreme rateits volume can double in just seven weeks.
Among the key symptomswhich you should not ignore, are strong and repetitive headaches, seizures and episodes of confusion, nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite, problems with vision, speech or memory, or sudden mood changes and balance disorders.
Experts warn that although symptoms often appear up to three months before diagnosis, a brain tumor is usually already growing almost a year before. Symptoms are often non-specific in the early stages and people ignore them they confuse it with stress or fatigue, which makes it difficult to catch the disease early.
