Andrew Nixon, a devoted husband, dad, and son, from Cheshire, was a physicist working in proton beam therapy at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. He began experiencing deafness, fatigue and visual disturbances during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. After initially being told he had a build-up of excess mucus in the nose, throat, and sinuses, his symptoms worsened and an MRI revealed a brain tumour, eventually diagnosed as an ultra-rare, high-grade anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (APXA). Despite his tumour being inoperable, Andrew returned to the job he loved, took part in a clinical trial and focused on making memories with his wife, Marjorie, and daughters, Beatrice and Ophelia. He died peacefully at The Christie in Manchester on 31st August 2025, five and a half years after his symptoms began, and his family is now taking part in the Brain Tumour Research Walk of Hope at Chatsworth as Team Andrew.
Here is Andrew’s story, as told by his mum, Lesley…
Andrew was our first child, born in 1985, four years before his sister, Amy. He was calm and laid-back with an excellent sense of humour, but he was also ambitious and always striving to improve himself. Above everything, though, he was absolutely devoted to his family.
He was a really good dad and, because of his knowledge and specialty, I think he knew his life wasn't going to be a long one following his diagnosis. He tried to fill every moment doing the little things he could with Marjorie and their girls, Beatrice and Ophelia, and making the most of the time they had together. The thing that upset him most about his diagnosis was knowing he probably wasn't going to see his children grow up to the age that he should have.
Andrew left school at 18 and began his biomedical science training at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, specialising in radiotherapy. He loved his work and progressed through his career, with his final post as a physicist in the Proton Beam Therapy Department at The Christie in Manchester. That professional knowledge was both a help and a hindrance after he became ill because he understood brain tumours and their prognosis, although it also meant his colleagues had a real understanding of what he was going through.
Andrew’s knowledge of brain tumours meant he understood only too well what his symptoms could mean.
His first symptoms developed in April 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown, when he experienced deafness, fatigue and mild visual disturbance. He approached his GP three times but didn't have a face-to-face appointment and was advised by text that he had catarrh, a build-up of mucus in the nose, sinuses or throat, often associated with a cold or other infection. Andrew rarely complained about feeling ill and was generally very fit, so the fact that he kept seeking medical advice made us increasingly concerned.
Andrew never told us that he thought he might have a brain tumour, but looking back, I'd be very surprised if he wasn't worried that was what it could be. In the early stages, when it was mainly the deafness, I think he was happy to be reassured by the GP and was lulled into a false sense of security. But when he started losing his balance, I think he must have known something more serious was happening, and by then we all knew something wasn't right.
In June, following a fall, Marjorie called 999 and Andrew was taken to Leighton Hospital in Crewe, where an MRI that same day revealed a brain tumour. Because of the COVID restrictions, he had gone into hospital alone and received that news without any of us there. Even then, he was still quite hopeful because, through his work, he knew some brain tumours could be benign.
He was transferred to Royal Stoke Hospital, where he had a shunt inserted and underwent numerous biopsies, but the tumour was considered inoperable because of its location.
When the initial biopsy results suggested glioblastoma, Andrew was devastated because his job meant he was well aware of the poor prognosis that came with that diagnosis.
It was then that he really sank to a low and became understandably pessimistic.
His care transferred to The Christie, where he worked, and he started chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which lifted his spirits because he felt things were finally happening. A final biopsy result then changed his diagnosis to a high-grade anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (APXA) - an ultra-rare brain tumour, and his medical team hoped this would respond better to treatment. Although he still had a high-grade glioma, suddenly the outlook didn't seem quite as bleak and it gave Andrew and all of us more hope.
During treatment, his fatigue settled, his hearing improved massively and he was fitted with prism glasses to help his vision. I remember vividly travelling back from The Christie one day and being able to have a conversation with him in the car about Cornish pasties, of all things, because he could hear me again. It sounds like such a small thing, but it was a really good day and moments like that were huge in giving us hope.
Treatment wasn't without its challenges. Andrew developed steroid-induced diabetes requiring insulin, his shunt became blocked and had to be replaced, and he developed short-term memory loss which had a huge effect on his everyday life. He adapted by setting reminders on his phone, writing important things down and keeping a “bits and bobs” box in exactly the same place for things such as his keys, phone and wallet. Keeping as much of a routine as possible helped him live as normal a life as he could.
Despite everything, Andrew was determined to return to the job he loved.
With encouragement from us and enormous support from his managers and colleagues, Andrew returned to work in January 2021. He worked from home four days a week and spent one day on site, when his dad, Paul, drove him there and back. Work brought some normality back into his life, and the support of colleagues who understood his condition enabled him to continue despite the difficulties caused by his short-term memory problems.
We all adapted to our “new normal”, but an MRI in October 2022 showed that Andrew's tumour had progressed. He was put forward for the national DETERMINE drug trial – the first national clinical study in the UK testing if existing, approved cancer drugs can treat rare cancers with matching genetic changes – which The Christie was involved in, and after assessments he began the trial in March 2023. It involved oral medication and outpatient appointments, so thankfully it didn't have too much impact on his family or working life.
His first follow-up scan showed improvement and we were all delighted. His memory and energy improved, and his quality of life and hope for the future were the best they had been since his diagnosis. Andrew’s condition remained stable on the trial for more than two years, giving him precious time to enjoy family holidays and life with the girls.
For his 40th birthday, Andrew fulfilled a childhood wish to visit Legoland after telling Marjorie: “What I'd really love to do is go to Legoland”. He was like a child with excitement and they had an absolute ball. His health began to deteriorate shortly after the trip, so we’re incredibly grateful he got to make that memory with Marjorie and the girls.
Sadly, in June 2025, Andrew developed pain in his shoulders and arms followed by weakness in his lower limbs, and an MRI confirmed spinal metastases.
He underwent extensive surgery at Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester to prevent paralysis. In August, he was transferred back to The Christie and the aim – both his and ours – was still to get him home, with the physiotherapists and his consultant working hard towards this. Until then, we continued to hope we would have much more time with him.
One morning, we woke to missed calls from the ward asking us to contact them urgently. When we called, we were told that Andrew had suffered a massive seizure during the night and was unresponsive. His consultant treated him for another 24 hours, but when he showed no response, the decision was made to withdraw treatment apart from his anti-seizure medication and keep him comfortable. It was only after the seizure that we were told his prognosis would have been just a few months and that any further radiotherapy would have been palliative.
Looking back, we take some comfort from the way it happened. Right up until that seizure, Andrew could still communicate with us, knew everybody and could chat to colleagues who visited him, and he still believed he was going to get home. His consultant explained that he wouldn't have known anything about the seizure, and we knew that otherwise he was likely to deteriorate slowly over the following months.
Somebody from the family stayed with him 24 hours a day and we kept talking to him even though he couldn't respond. The care he received at The Christie was some of the most amazing care I have ever witnessed, and he was made so comfortable and peaceful.
Andrew died on 31st August 2025 surrounded by his family, and although we have mixed feelings about those final days, we take enormous comfort from knowing he wasn't aware of what was happening and that we were all there with him.
Andrew was the bravest person I’ve ever known. He lifted himself from the devastation of that initial diagnosis and was determined to live a happy life despite knowing it was unlikely to be a long one. He conducted himself with the utmost dignity, and with the support and expertise of so many medical teams he was able to enjoy the best quality of life possible. I am incredibly proud of him.
After Andrew died, we were asked whether we would consent to a post-mortem and donate his brain tissue to research. Andrew had never specifically spoken to us about donating his brain and, although Marjorie immediately felt it was what he would have wanted, as his mum I initially found it very difficult to get my head around making that decision so soon after losing him. Looking back now, though, if I hadn't consented I would be kicking myself because I know it was what Andrew would have wanted.
He had already taken part in a clinical trial and was willing to contribute to anything he thought could help research. We have since been told that his donated brain tissue has gone into a research study, although we don't know specifically how it is being used.
Andrew's death has been a huge loss for Beatrice and Ophelia, but they've both done incredibly well and I know he would be so proud of them. We have a massive support network around us and are now coming together as Team Andrew for the Brain Tumour Research Walk of Hope. I've been amazed by people's generosity and we've already surpassed my original £200 fundraising target.
I think Andrew would be proud of us for doing the Brain Tumour Research Walk of Hope in his memory.
High-grade gliomas are indiscriminate and the symptoms can come out of the blue and be incredibly wide-ranging. I would tell anyone who is concerned about symptoms to seek help without delay, insist on a face-to-face consultation and seek another opinion if they aren't satisfied with the initial advice or treatment they receive.
Finally, I would say don't give up hope. Andrew was initially given an 18-month prognosis but lived for five and a half years, with a quality of life he was able to enjoy. Surround yourself with the love and support of the people who matter to you – the people you can be open with and who will understand and support you positively.
Lesley Nixon
September 2026
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 touched by Andrew’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.
