Sam Kowalski, 37, was looking forward to a future with his fiancée Emily, but in the early hours of the morning before they were due to leave for their trip to Japan, he became ill in their hotel room and was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital.
His mother, Sahra, said: "I woke up to lots of missed calls from Emily at about 5am, which was really alarming. She told me they were in Wythenshawe Hospital and Sam had had a seizure in the hotel room."
"I was in shock. I thought it was really strange. As a mum, you're trying to look for the reason behind everything. I started Googling and found out it's not uncommon to have a one-off seizure."
Holiday continued after hospital all-clear
Sam was given the all-clear by hospital staff and told he was fit to fly, so he and Emily continued with their holiday. However, he continued to feel unwell, with dizziness, feeling spaced out and struggling with his vision.
At the time, Sam attributed some of these symptoms to anxiety and stress, but after returning home, he managed just one day back at work before his symptoms became "overwhelming".
In October, while away celebrating his birthday with friends, Sam suffered another seizure, so the family arranged a private MRI scan at Spire Murrayfield Hospital.
Tumour discovered and surgery halted
The results revealed a small tumour on Sam's brain. Sahra said: "The doctor called Sam back a couple of days later and said they had found a small tumour in a 'very operable position'. I didn't know anything about brain tumours. We knew it wasn't good news, but it didn't seem to be too bad."
Sam was subsequently referred to The Walton Centre, where doctors initially diagnosed him with a low-grade glioma. The family was again told the tumour was in an operable position and 95% could be removed.
In February, Sam underwent surgery in the hope of removing the tumour, but it had to be halted. Sahra received a phone call informing her that, when the surgeon attempted to touch the tumour, Sam's arm and face began moving significantly. Concerned about the risk of causing serious neurological damage, the surgeon decided not to proceed, and a sample was taken for biopsy instead.
"It was a huge blow for Sam to come out of surgery and the tumour hadn't been taken out, after all the emotion of preparing mentally to have the surgery," Sahra told the Liverpool Echo.
Aggressive diagnosis and family response
The biopsy results showed that rather than the low-grade glioma, Sam had a Grade 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Sahra said watching her son navigate such a life-changing diagnosis had been "incredibly difficult". She added: "To this day, I could never know what Sam feels deep inside because he shows a certain side to us all. It's as if he wants to protect us. I've said to Sam, people go through life and achieve all sorts of things, but I think this life achievement of managing such a drastic diagnosis has been a real testament to his character and his strength."
Since receiving the diagnosis, Sam and his family have looked at all available options, including clinical trials in the UK and internationally. The family also connected with a man from Wallasey who is a long-term survivor of glioblastoma and shared his experiences.
Sam has since made significant lifestyle changes, including following a strict low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet. The family has also been exploring supportive approaches such as red light therapy and hyperbaric oxygen treatment.
His latest MRI showed no evidence of tumour progression, alongside signs of slight shrinkage. "Just to hear those words was fantastic," Sahra said. "We don't know exactly what's done it, but anything is worth a try. It's keeping us going right now."
The family has launched a fundraising appeal to help him access treatment not available on the NHS. An option is Tumour Treating Fields, including Optune, a technology which uses electric fields to disrupt the division of cancer cells. They are also looking into specialist medical opinions, clinical trials and treatments which can cost tens of thousands of pounds. Sahra said Sam's "positive outlook and strength of character" had remained an inspiration to those around him throughout an incredibly difficult period.
