06 January 2024 , 14:17
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An otherwise "healthy" gas engineer was left questioning "how long he had left" following a heartbreaking cancer diagnosis a mere week before Christmas.
Mitch Middleton, 27, was given the news that he had an inoperable brain tumour after experiencing headaches alongside sickness, while travelling to New York alongside his girlfriend for a festive holiday. As the symptoms continued on the holiday, Mitch, from Tamworth told Birmingham Live that he "knew something wasn't right" and went to A&E upon returning home.
It was then he was handed a heartbreaking diagnosis, leaving him in a last-ditch attempt to extend his life through private treatment.
A GoFundMe page was then established to raise £80,000 and the Tamworth and wider community has already raised nearly £30,000 and Mitch was left "in tears".
He said: "I'm overwhelmed with the way people have come together, not only Tamworth but the wider community. Quite literally it brings tears to my eyes each day seeing the support flooding in. There really are some incredible people in this world."
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Mitch Middleton was told he had an inoperable brain tumour"The hardest part is not knowing how long I’ve got left in this life and what I can do in that time. Will I be dead next month? It’s been two weeks today since the diagnosis, it still feels kind of like I’m not in reality, but the days have slowed down and the positivity is on the up.
"I believe there’s still hope and I know a lot of other people believe that too. I’m nowhere near ready to give up and I have a whole load of fight in me yet."
His sister Jessie was shocked to discover that the "healthiest person ever" had received such terrible news, and said it was a "hard pill to swallow". She said: "This is his life, he's our little brother, a life means everything to everybody. Donating for him would mean the absolute world to us.
"Every single penny, or even just a share, would be a massive help to maybe extend his life longer and get private health care to give him the life that he should have at 27. We just want him to have a normal life like any other 27-year-old."
Mitch is self-employed and has written a "big list" of things he intends to do and achieve, including a holiday for his entire family. He began struggling with "continuous" headaches throughout December and his symptoms became "progressively" worse.
Mitch recalled: "My girlfriend and I had a trip away scheduled to New York, which we were both so excited for. On the morning of our flight the headache was accompanied by vomiting, not the first time but I just thought I had a migraine and powered on.
"Upon arriving home, having been poorly while we were away I knew something wasn't right, that it wasn't normal. I decided I would go to A&E to get checked."
His symptoms were checked and then a CT scan was carried out, which confirmed an abnormal cyst or tumour had been identified on his brain. The following three days were spent in hospital undergoing a lot of tests and waiting for an MRI scan.
"Following the MRI came the news I never wanted to hear, I have a brain tumour," he added. "At this point they sent me home to wait for the neurosurgeons to review my MRI in further detail and decide on next steps.
"On Thursday, December 28 I went back to see the neurosurgeons, who told me the tumour was too deep to operate and they suspected it was an aggressive grade 3 to 4 cancer. At the age of 27 they believe I have an incurable brain tumour."
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A biopsy is planned for Monday, January 8 to confirm exactly which type of tumour Mitch has and plan for the next steps. He said: "The hope is they can find a suitable treatment plan to stabilise the growth and prolong my life. I have so much I still want to achieve and enjoy, I'm not ready to give up yet."