Balderton dad Andrew Hirst feels relieved as a recent scan shows ‘stable’ tumour and means a step forward to treatment in Germany after grade 4 glioblastoma diagnosis

A dad of three was given a glimmer of hope in his battle with a terminal illness as he is a step closer to being able to undergo pioneering treatment.

Andrew Hirst, 35, has grade 4 glioblastoma, a brain tumour which the doctors have described this week as ‘stable’, after a recent scan showed no growth or new tumours.

Since being told by the NHS he may only have 12 to 18 months to live in November last year, Andrew has fought not just the disease, but for options to give him more time to enjoy with his friends and family, and has been doing his own research for treatments.

After contacting several doctors across the world, including a neurosurgeon in New York who forwarded his case to a doctor in Germany, the Balderton dad discovered a pioneering immunotherapy programme in Germany.

“The NHS said 12 to 18 months for myself and I just don’t believe it in my head,” he said.

“They might say I am being unrealistic or I am not living in the right world, but with a positive mindset and belief and the amount of research that I have done, I have hope.

“I have spoken to so many people, including in America and Europe — somebody is living in York is on their eighth year, and someone in Lincoln is on their seventh year of living with what I have got.

“What is more worrying is that if you are not mentally strong enough or if you don’t have a strong enough community around you, people will just take what the NHS says.

“But if you have that mindset and support, you are going to ask questions and try to find alternatives and seek different advice and support and talk to people people who are going through the same.”

After his diagnosis in November 2024, Andrew underwent 30 sessions of chemotherapy and 30 sessions of radiotherapy to reduce the tumour, but sadly these treatments will not cure glioblastomas of this nature.

The immunotherapy treatment, which is not available on the NHS, led Andrew to ask the community for help in his aim to raise £250,000, of which he has raised nearly £93,000 which is almost enough for the treatment.

On Wednesday (April 30), Andrew received a blood sample kit from Germany, and got his blood drawn at the Newark Hospital on the same day, meaning that he is closer to starting the treatment that could give him more precious time with his family.

Communities across Newark and the country have rallied in support of Andrew to raise money towards his cause.

Staff at Tesco in Balderton have raised £472 to support Andrew ,and Newark Academy hosted a netball fundraiser on Sunday (May 4).

Andrew’s friend Tom Newbould ran the London Marathon for the cause, and students at the Corby Technical school have raised over £2,000 at a bike-a-thon as they cycled the distance from England to Germany in a day.

“I am quite overwhelmed with everyone’s support, and I am not sure it is something that I can get used to,” he said, “But knowing that I have people’s support reminds me that I am not alone.”

On Monday (April 28), Andrew went back to teaching on a phased return as he wanted to bring a sense of normality into his life, and said that the support from both staff and students felt like a sense of ‘warmth and family’.

Despite constant ups and downs through his battle, Andrew still feels relieved at the results of his scan and grateful for the life he has and the support he has been getting.

He added: “At the start if somebody said to you, we’ll give you another year, at the time I would just taken it straight away, whereas now, having spoken to a few people and they are six, seven, eight, nine years down the line, it gives you a lot of hope.

“I know things can turn quite quickly, and I have read about it, all it takes is a not-so-good scan, and things can be tricky, but I am just keeping doing what I am doing.”

Following advice from other people and how they have changed their day-to-day lives, such as taking vitamin D, improving his diet and cutting things such as sugar and carbohydrates, keeping busy, active and fit.

As Andrew continues to battle with a terminal diagnosis with a positive mindset day after day, with the community by his side, the dad of three said that he feels “ignored” by his MP, Robert Jenrick, after sending several emails and leaving voicemails asking for his help.

Mr Jenrick’s office told him he would be contacted within a few days about a meeting with the MP, but he hasn’t heard anything since the end of February this year.

“It is just really frustrating because he should be there for the people who elected him, even if he came around and said he was going to try and do something, or bring the situation to the attention,” Andrew said.

“My first scan was in an Asda car park in Nottingham, and we have got a hospital in Newark, and I would love to talk and have a conversation with our MP about bringing more resources to Newark hospital, because not only I but other people as well have to travel for everything.

“But he never got in contact.”

Robert Jenrick’s office has been approached for comment, but has not yet responded.