Help Andrew fight brain cancer

My Story

Hi everyone,

My name is Andrew Hirst, and I never imagined I’d be writing this at just 35 years old. Life has thrown me a challenge I can’t face alone—I’ve been diagnosed with grade 4 glioblastoma, a terminal brain cancer. Now, I’m in a race against time, and I desperately need your help to access lifesaving immunotherapy and hyperthermy treatment that could give me more precious time with my family.

I have an amazing wife, Rachael, and together since 2012, we’ve built a beautiful life with our three incredible children—Freddie (10), Juliana (6), and Maximilian (3). They are full of life, love sports, and dream big. As parents, we are determined to remove any barriers in their way and give them the best opportunities in life, education, and sport.

My Life Before Diagnosis

I’ve dedicated my career to education, training as a secondary school Design & Technology teacher in 2010. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of teaching thousands of students across South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, and Greater London. Supporting schools, students, and teachers has been my passion, and I’ve loved learning about different communities and their creative ideas.

I have always been active and healthy - eating well, not smoking or taking drugs, rarely drinking, and running Parkrun with my kids every weekend. On a typical day, I would walk 10,000 to 15,000 steps through work and life. I never expected to face something like this.

The Diagnosis That Changed Everything

In November 2024, I started experiencing severe headaches and fatigue. I reached out to my GP multiple times, but I was told it was just migraines. On November 12th, I couldn’t take the pain any longer and called 111. Within an hour, I was sent to my GP, and within minutes, I was rushed to Kingsmill Hospital with a dangerously high 42-degree temperature and severe sensitivity to light.

Thanks to our incredible NHS, I was given a CT scan immediately. The results were devastating—a large tumour was found in my brain. Further scans confirmed that I had glioblastoma, and I was introduced to my neuro-oncology clinical nurse specialist. The swelling caused by the tumour had already shifted my brain by 8mm, causing immense pressure in my head.

After five days on steroids to reduce the swelling, I was transferred to Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, where I underwent brain surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible and collect samples for further analysis.

Determined to fight, I pushed myself to recover quickly so I could return home to my family after two weeks apart from my children.

The Harsh Reality of Glioblastoma

In December 2024, I began 30 sessions of radiotherapy and chemotherapy at Nottingham City Hospital. While these treatments help, they are not a cure. Glioblastomas are relentless—only 25% of patients survive beyond one year. I refuse to become another statistic.

I began researching my condition and was shocked to learn that the same standard treatments have been used for decades. I knew I had to explore every possible option to give myself the best chance.

Why I Need Your Help

I am now seeking hyperthermy and immunotherapy treatment, both cutting-edge approaches that are not available on the NHS but have shown incredible promise for grade 4 brain tumours.

Hyperthermy works alongside the chemotherapy and uses high temperatures to damage and kill the cancerous cells. The immunotherapy treatment uses my own tumour, which is currently frozen and stored at Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, to create a personalised vaccine. This vaccine will train my immune system to recognise and fight the cancer as it regrows.

This is a time-sensitive opportunity, and I need to raise £250,000 to access this potentially life-extending treatment.

How You Can Help

I never imagined having to ask for help in this way, but I cannot do this alone.

• If you can donate, no matter how small, it will go directly toward my treatment and give me the chance to keep living for my wife and children.

• If you can’t donate right now, please share my story with as many people as possible. Your support means everything.

This is truly a race against time, and every single donation or share brings me closer to the treatment I need.

I can’t imagine not being there to watch my children grow up and pursue their dreams; to give Freddie his 1st driving lesson; to run another parkrun with Juliana, let alone walk her down the aisle at her wedding; to take Maximilian to his 1st day at school.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your kindness, generosity, and support.

With love and gratitude,

Andrew Hirst