A dad who was given just months to live after being diagnosed with multiple inoperable brain tumours after initially thinking he had Covid is defying the odds two years on. Matthew Ellis, 33, has terminal brain cancer but has outlived doctors' expectations.
Matthew, who has four children, was given the devastating news when he went to A&E with what he thought was Covid, as he was experiencing similar symptoms. Doctors told him he had as little as three to six months to live, but he battles on.
Matthew, from Netherfields in Middlesbrough, had previously been diagnosed with skin cancer in 2017 before being given the all-clear. But that cancer returned, spreading to his brain and bowel, reports TeessideLive. Sadly in recent months Matthew has seen his condition worsen considerably
His wife Lauren, 28, said: "He has had quite a lot of seizures lately and last week he had been complaining of headaches, so we rang the ambulance. But they weren't even going to take him into hospital, even though Matthew had said it felt as though there was a tumour right at the front of his head and it was ready to pop."
Eventually making it to the James Cook University Hospital A&E department, Matthew had to wait while doctors reviewed his scan, it was there he found out that he did in fact have a large tumour on the front of his brain and other smaller tumours.
Lauren said: "Melanoma spreads so fast, he had to have surgery last week but when they went inside the tumours were actually bleeding on his brain. He's had to have 40 staples in his head and he's lost all his hair because of the scars. When they removed it they actually nicked the part of his brain, which controls his foot and his leg, the feeling is starting to come back, but sometimes it just goes completely."
Matthew's family previously set up a GoFundMe so that they could take Leo, 10, Lola, nine, Luca, five and little Lorena, one, on what could have potentially been their last family holiday, to Primrose Valley and Rainton Sands. This year Matthew's mother has set up a fundraising page with the hope of raising £5,000 in order to help him fulfil his bucket list and treat himself to something he would like to do.
Due to his diagnosis, Matthew had to leave his job as a general operative at the Teesside biomass plant, which added to the family's stress. He said he was forever grateful for all the donations that he had received over the years and added: "I used to have a high-paying job and going from that to a PIP (Personal Independence Payment )from the Government is a really big difference.
"So I am really grateful for all the continued support, I don't at all want to sound greedy. It has helped us a lot."
If you would like to donate to Matthew's GoFundMe click here.
