Help Nige in his fight against Glioblastoma

From Nige's wife:

We often hear the cliché sayings ‘life’s too short’ or ‘what a difference a day makes’, but until something so profound happens to you personally those are just empty words.

I wish that my family didn’t have to feel the enormity of those words. In November my husband, Nige, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma (GBM) - an aggressive form of brain cancer. I struggle to understand how my fit and active husband who had just proudly earned his purple belt in Jiu-Jitsu last spring is now fighting for his life. How one minute he’s running around with our 2 young boys, being the hands-on dad that he is, to now worrying what the future holds for us.

It goes without saying that Nige will fight this with everything he has. With the love of family and friends supporting him, I truly believe he can overcome anything. But we can’t do this alone. Time is not on our side and the standard treatment for Glioblastoma isn’t likely to be effective in his case. However, there is hope in advanced therapies that could make a difference.

Sharing this is incredibly difficult, especially for Nige. He’s a private and independent person who rarely asks for help. But right now, we need to set that aside and share his story to give him the best possible chance to fight this. His ultimate goal? To stick around long enough to watch our boys grow up.

Since our world changed, the support we have received, practical, emotional and the kindness shown has truly uplifted our family. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

Together, we can give him the strength and hope to keep fighting.

From Nige's brother:

My brother is one of the bravest people I know. At 41, he’s not just an incredible father and loving husband but someone who has always embraced life fully – thriving in his career as a software developer, practicing Jiu-Jitsu, and relentlessly pursuing his goals. But this is a battle he can’t fight alone.

After years of managing migraines, Nige began experiencing debilitating headaches and neck pain that were far worse than anything he’d felt before. Despite several visits to doctors, his symptoms were initially dismissed as severe migraines. An MRI eventually revealed the heartbreaking truth: a high-grade brain tumour.

Nige underwent surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible and is now completing an intensive six-week course of daily chemotherapy alongside 30 sessions of radiation therapy. To make matters worse, biopsy results revealed that his tumour is unmethylated, meaning it’s less likely to respond effectively to chemotherapy – a devastating double blow.

Unfortunately, traditional treatments for glioblastoma offer limited effectiveness and have barely advanced in 20 years. But we refuse to let Nige become a statistic.

After consulting with his oncologist, Nige has been offered a promising peptide vaccine treatment with CeGaT in Germany. However, due to their patient capacity being reached, he has been given the option to receive the same treatment at their sister clinic in Lithuania, which follows identical expertise and protocols.

This innovative immunotherapy works by stimulating Nige’s immune system to recognise and target cancer cells. It offers the potential to slow disease progression, delay recurrence, and provide more precious time with his family. The treatment involves creating a personalised vaccine tailored to the unique characteristics of Nige’s tumour.

Because the tumour is unmethylated, Nige’s oncologist has also put him in contact with a specialist in the U.S to recommend additional non-standard approaches that surpass the standard of care, providing another avenue of hope in this fight.

The estimated cost for these treatments is €100,000, the majority of which is for the vaccine, an amount far beyond what the family can manage alone.

Time is critical. Glioblastoma is aggressive, and waiting increases the risk of recurrence. By acting now, we can attack the tumour early and give Nige the best possible chance.

We’re sharing Nige’s story to raise awareness and support. Whether through a donation, sharing this story, or keeping him in your thoughts, your kindness means more than we can express.

Thank you for reading and helping us give Nige the most precious gift of all – more time with his family.