Former postman and London tour guide Neil, from High Wycombe, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma in February 2024. The 65-year-old experienced shaking in his body before a scan revealed a life-limiting tumour on his brain. Neil has now completed radiotherapy and two, six-month rounds of chemotherapy alongside an experimental private treatment. He has now turned his attention to living a fulfilled life and is campaigning with the charity Brain Tumour Research to raise awareness, sharing his frustration over the lack of investment in research into the disease.
Neil tells his story…
Five years ago, I moved from Tooting in London to High Wycombe. I promised my wife, Laura, that we’d move to the countryside. It’s different to the buzz in a big city where I’d spent 30 years as a postman. I changed career in 2013 and worked as a London tour guide which I loved, something my brain tumour diagnosis has meant I’ve had to give up for now.
I was diagnosed on Valentine’s Day in 2024 after attending a military dinner at the Tower of London with my friend who is a Beefeater and former military. The meal lasted for three hours and the whole time I sat there, my body was shaking. Years prior, I’d had a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) often known as a mini-stroke and thought it could be something similar.
As with the tradition of a military meal, it’s common practice not to leave the table until you are dismissed and so I sat for almost three hours, avoiding drinking alcohol waiting for the shaking to pass, but it didn’t.
My right arm was becoming harder to control and was spasming.
I’m not one to make a fuss and often pick myself up and carry on, however, people commented how I wasn’t myself and took me to the hospital.
Within half an hour of getting to St Thomas’ Hospital, I was talking gibberish. I knew what I wanted to say but on hearing the words that left my mouth, I could tell I wasn’t making any sense and then I collapsed. When I came round, I saw Laura wrapped in my suit and was told I’d had two rounds of CPR, and a scan showed a tumour on my brain.
A biopsy later in February confirmed the tumour was a grade 4 glioblastoma and I was given a stark prognosis of 12-18 months.
I thought to myself, okay, well that’s life and there’s not much I can do about it.
I have some bad days and other times I don’t feel how you’d expect someone who has a life-limiting disease to feel.
My care was transferred to Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Northwood where the medical team decided on a treatment plan. I was warned about the risks of surgery, including the possibility of losing my speech or mobility. I was told it was a 50/50 chance, which helped me decide to go ahead with just radiotherapy and chemotherapy. I also had hyperthermia treatment, which Laura and I paid for privately using our savings.
After stable scans, I’m on a watch and wait and it’s unclear what treatment has helped achieve this result and it’s something we won’t know.
I feel calm. That’s just the way I am though; I don’t get angry about things. Occasionally I try and do too much but I’m getting the hang of living with this disease. I’ve had great support from brainstrust throughout my diagnosis.
I knew my chemo was coming to an end and saw the 88 Squats a Day in July challenge on Brain Tumour Research’s Facebook page and thought it was achievable. This charity is all about research which is where the frustration is; the lack of investment in research into brain tumours; and I believe that’s where we’ll make the real difference to patients.
Neil Parker
July 2025
One in three people in the UK knows someone affected by a brain tumour. This disease is indiscriminate; it can affect anyone at any age. What’s more, brain tumours continue to kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet, to date, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.
Brain Tumour Research is determined to change this.
If you have been inspired by Neil’s story, you may like to make a donation via www.braintumourresearch.org/donate or leave a gift in your will via www.braintumourresearch.org/legacy
Together we will find a cure.
