A father who attributed his dizzy spells to giving up alcohol was devastated to learn he had an incurable brain tumor. Simon Hollister, 55, decided to quit drinking for a month in January 2025 and began daily eight-mile walks to improve his fitness and lose weight.
Initial Symptoms Dismissed
Simon initially brushed off the 'dizzy spells' he experienced during his walks as a side effect of stopping alcohol. However, when he started forgetting simple words like 'aubergine' and the name of a nearby town, the father of two decided to pay for a private MRI scan in February 2025.
Devastating Diagnosis
The following morning, Simon received a call from his GP with the devastating news that he had unmethylated glioblastoma, a fast-growing cancerous brain tumor. Told he had just a year to live, Simon underwent brain surgery in March 2025 that successfully removed 80% of the tumor, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Ongoing Treatment and New Challenges
Since September 2025, Simon has been receiving Avastin, a treatment costing £1,000 per month. While his latest MRI showed the original tumor had 'disappeared', a new pea-sized tumor has emerged. Simon is now fundraising to cover the £80,000 cost of further treatment abroad, hoping to live long enough to celebrate his youngest son's 21st birthday in four years.
Simon, from Weybridge, Surrey, said: 'I've always liked drinks but I'd put on too much weight and thought I would do another dry January. I was walking eight miles per day, then I would suddenly feel a bit dizzy. I would just stop then keep going – it happened a few times but then I started forgetting certain words.'
Words That Slipped Away
The sales director recalled: 'The two words in particular were 'aubergine' and a town called Godalming. They were the two words that I just couldn't think of at any time.' He decided to pay for a private MRI scan 'for his own sanity'.
Simon said: 'The morning after the scan I had a phone call from the GP and he was near to tears. He said he had some bad news for me and told me I had glioblastoma. I asked him my life expectancy and I was told six to 12 months. I was in tears for about three hours. It was a question then of 'if this is the case, how do I look after my family?''
Surgery and Further Therapy
Simon underwent surgery on March 27, 2025, removing 80% of the tumor, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Since September 2025, he has been receiving Avastin, a tumor-starving therapy. Simon explained: 'I started Avastin in September 2025, which works out roughly at £1,000 per month. My MRI scan last month showed the initial tumor has completely disappeared, but a new one had come back, about the size of a pea. What happens with the unmethylated glioblastoma is it repeatedly comes back because it's DNA based.'
Fundraising for a Future
Simon is now fundraising to cover the £80,000 cost of further treatment abroad, in addition to the monthly £1,000 for Avastin. While his brain tumor is incurable, Simon hopes the treatment will allow him to see his youngest son Gabriel, currently 17, turn 21. Simon said: 'The main thing from my perspective is I'm staying alive – I've got two boys and I want to make sure I live until my youngest is 21. That's the key thing for me. Each treatment should deliver me another year – if I do those then I get four more years and I should live to see my youngest reach 21. I'll keep fighting then but I've achieved what I've aimed for.'
Simon fears he 'would be dead' if he hadn't paid for the private MRI and encourages others with similar symptoms to 'be persistent'. He added: 'I would have been dead if I hadn't chased it myself – it's really as simple as that. Some people get told they have glioblastoma and they die within months because it grows really quickly. Anytime you feel a bit weird, you have to be persistent with your GP.'
