Simon Hollister says he just wants to live to see his son turn 21Neil Shaw Assistant Editor (Money and Lifestyle)10:16, 17 Jun 2026A dad blamed his dizzy spells on quitting booze to improve his health, but was devastated to learn it was an incurable brain tumour. Simon Hollister decided to give up drink for a month in January 2025 and started going on eight-mile walks in an attempt to improve his fitness and lose weight.‌The 55-year-old says he initially brushed off the 'dizzy spells' he started experiencing during his daily walks as a side effect of giving up alcohol. But after Simon began forgetting simple words, including 'aubergine' and the name of a nearby town, the dad-of-two decided to pay to have a private MRI scan done in February 2025.‌The following morning Simon received a call from his GP who gave him the devastating news that he had unmethylated glioblastoma, a fast-growing cancerous brain tumour. After being told he had just a year to live, Simon underwent brain surgery that successfully removed 80% of the tumour in March 2025, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy.‌Since September 2025 Simon has been receiving Avastin, a form of treatment that costs him £1,000 per month. So far the treatment has been successful, with his latest MRI scan showing that the original tumour had 'disappeared' - but Simon has been left fighting another pea-sized tumour on his brain.While there is no cure for his cancer, Simon is fundraising to cover the £80,000 cost of further treatment abroad, which he hopes will allow him to live long enough to celebrate his youngest son's 21st birthday, in four years' time. Simon, from Weybridge, Surrey, said: "I've always liked [alcoholic] 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 was out walking and I would suddenly feel a bit dizzy and a bit 'head spinny'. I would just stop then keep going - it happened a few times but then I started forgetting certain words."The two words in particular were 'aubergine' and there's a town down here called Godalming. They were the two words that I just couldn't think of at any time." The sales director says he decided to pay for a private MRI scan in February 2025 '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 [a brain tumour]. 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?'."Simon underwent surgery on March 27, 2025, which removed 80% of the brain tumour, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment. Since September 2025 he has been receiving a form of tumour-starving therapy called Avastin.‌Simon said: "I started Avastin in September 2025, which works out roughly at £1,000 per month. I'm still on it - that has had massive effects on the initial tumour. My MRI scan last month showed the initial tumour has completely disappeared, but a new one had come back, which is about the size of a pea."What happens with the unmethylated glioblastoma is it repeatedly comes back because it's DNA based."‌Simon is now fundraising to cover the cost of further treatment abroad, which he estimates will cost £80,000, in addition to the £1,000 per month he is paying for Avastin. While his brain tumour is incurable, Simon hopes the treatment will allow him to live long enough to see his youngest son Gabriel, who is currently 17, turn 21.You can donate to Simon's GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/welli-need-help-please-brain-cancer‌Simon 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."Article continues belowSimon fears he 'would be dead' if hadn't paid to have the MRI scan done privately and is encouraging other people who experience similar symptoms to 'be persistent'. Simon said: "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."