Elliot Macdonald, a 35-year-old floor tiler from Barnstaple, north Devon, has been diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, after suddenly struggling to write his name. Despite an average survival time of 12 to 18 months, he is determined to fight for his wife Erica and their two children, Aluna, 5, and one-year-old Ocie.
Sudden symptoms and diagnosis
About four weeks ago, Elliot noticed his hand was not working properly. His sister Lauren, a doctor who is herself battling Stage 4 melanoma, urged him to get checked immediately. Within two days, a CT scan revealed the devastating news. Elliot said: "I remember the doctor sitting me down and asking if I wanted to talk 'man to man' or as a family. I said I was happy to be on my own and he delivered the news. I went outside and called Erica straight away, we both broke down."
Within days, he underwent open brain surgery, but a seizure required a second operation. "It was a whirlwind and I was struggling to take everything in. I've cried more in these past few weeks than I have in my entire life," he added.
Community rallies to raise funds
More than 80 friends, family, and connections formed a WhatsApp group to spread Elliot's story globally, pushing his GoFundMe page. Within days, almost £160,000 was pledged. The funds will enable him to undergo advanced life-prolonging treatment not available on the NHS, such as personalised vaccines and immunotherapy at German clinics CeGat and IOZK, costing around £80,000.
Elliot said: "Through the GoFundMe page, I was put in touch with a man who underwent treatment in Germany and is still with us ten years later. He reached out and we spoke."
Emotional toll on the family
Elliot made a heartbreaking admission: "I may surprise people by saying this, but one of the things I said to the doctor was that I wish I never had children. You think about them growing up without a father... It breaks your heart knowing what it will do to your family."
His wife Erica described the family's struggle: "It's been very hard to navigate keeping Elliot stable and keeping our family going, you're kind of in autopilot mode. You're hanging all your hopes on the medicine."
Call for more research funding
Elliot also criticised the lack of funding for glioblastoma research, noting that only one percent of brain tumour funding goes to this cancer, which kills most men under 40 in the UK. "That's not enough," he said. "I know I'm one of the lucky ones in a way, despite the diagnosis. When people ask for help they don't get a reaction like this."
Despite the grim prognosis, Elliot remains defiant: "I want to be around for as long as I possibly can and I can't accept my story is over - for them all. My kids, my wife and my family."
