When Neil Taylor and his wife Alex found out they were expecting their first child, it should have been the most exciting time of their lives.
But just 13 weeks into the pregnancy, on Christmas Day 2016, Neil had a seizure out of the blue. Terrified, Alex phoned for an ambulance. Neil was checked out by a doctor who advised him to return if it happened again.
It was Boxing Day night when the second seizure struck in his sleep. The couple went back to the doctor in the morning and Neil was referred to a neurologist for a scan, medics unsure whether his condition may have been sleeping disorder or epilepsy.
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In February 2017, the pair were called to hospital where they received some earth-shattering news. Neil had a brain tumour on his left frontal lobe – and medics predicted he only had 10 years left to live.
“Initially it was a bit of a shock,” Neil told the Manchester Evening News. “It was going down the route of epileptic fits rather than seizures, so I wasn’t diagnosed correctly for a few months.
“That was one of the thoughts – 'am I going to have to do this process of a bucket list, including writing birthday cards out for Annabelle?' When we got the prognosis of five to 10 years, it was very upsetting. I don’t think it really sank in for me, but then I saw my mum and wife’s faces when they were told.”
Medics operated on the now father-of-two, from Middleton, to remove as much of the tumour as they could. The tumour was later identified as a grade three astrocytoma, which would need further treatment. Following intense courses of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, Neil was told he may not be able to have any more children.
Miraculously, following the birth of his daughter Annabelle, he went on to have son Harvey in January 2021. Neil now has regular MRI scans to check for regrowth but he still lives with the devastating illness.
Due to being on year five of his survival prognosis, doctors predict he only has another five years left to live. To spend more precious time with his wife as children while he can, Neil recently gave up his job as a franchise supervisor for McDonalds in Manchester.
“It was a really good job,” he said. “But I was often working weekends and was conscious that I was missing valuable time with my family. I need to catch up on missed time with my children. Over the last few years, I’ve been worried about them rather than myself.
“It upsets me and it’s just about making as many memories as possible and making sure they’re set up in terms of their lives and they have good characteristics and they’ve been brought up well.
“We go on weekends away to Wales now and again, that’s our escape when things get too much. We just kind of get on with it.”
After his diagnosis, Neil started fundraising for Brain Tumour Research, which soon led to him and his family setting up Neil’s Appeal, a fundraising group under the umbrella of Brain Tumour Research. It has already raised close to £29,000.
Now his friend, Hannah McKenna, from Blackley, is set to climb to more than 5,000 metres above sea level later this month when she takes on an Everest challenge to help find a cure for brain tumours.
Her epic climb to raise funds for the charity Brain Tumour Research is after she met Neil at a wedding earlier this year.
“I’m so grateful to and humbled by Hannah for choosing Neil’s Appeal and Brain Tumour Research over all the other charities out there,” Neil added. “It’s really amazing what she is doing and I wish her all the very best of luck.
“It may be too late for me, but we desperately need to find a cure, so please help by making a donation to Hannah’s fundraising.”
Hannah, who suffered with altitude sickness when she climbed Kilimanjaro in 2017, will be flying out to Kathmandu on 25 October ahead of 15 days of trekking up to Everest Base Camp, over the Chola Pass and around the Gokyo Lakes, climbing to a height of 5,420 metres and averaging seven hours of hiking a day.
She said: “I first got into mountain-climbing when I was at North Manchester High School for Girls, which doesn’t exist anymore, and was working on my Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.
“Living in Manchester, it’s fairly easy to get to the fells and mountains in the Lake District, North Wales and Scotland and, to get into training for Everest. I have been doing some wild camping too.
"I try to do as many miles as I can and, when I can’t get away, I use the stepper at the gym. Unfortunately, altitude is something I can’t really train for so I hope that won’t affect me too badly.
“The first challenge is flying on from Kathmandu and landing at Lukla airport, billed as the most dangerous airport in the world because of its altitude, the effect that low air pressure has on the handling of aircraft as well as its extremely short runway – less than a quarter of the length of most runways at an international airport.
“I am nervous, but really excited about my Everest challenge and I know Neil will be my inspiration when things get tough. He’s such a positive guy and has the loveliest wife and gorgeous children.
“There’s a desperate need for much more research into brain tumours to find more effective treatment and ultimately a cure. It just doesn’t get the awareness, let alone the funding it needs.”
Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet historically just 1 per cent of the national spend on cancer has been allocated to this devastating disease. Matthew Price, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Brain tumours are indiscriminate and can affect anyone at any age. Just 12 per cent of patients survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50 per cent across all cancers.
“We are very grateful to Hannah and of course Neil’s Appeal for their fundraising. It’s only with the support of people like them that we’re able to progress our research into brain tumours and improve the outcome for patients who are forced to fight this awful disease.”
To make a donation to Hannah’s fundraising for Neil’s Appeal and Brain Tumour Research, go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Hannah-Everest .
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