A dad who played a key part in the local response to Covid during the pandemic has spoken about the challenges of living with an incurable brain tumour. Matthew White, 40, from Brighton , was diagnosed with an astrocytoma brain tumour in October last year. He said: “I had been a bit more tired than usual, and I felt burnt out for a while but overall thought I was well.
"Then one evening, I went to play football and about an hour in, everything changed – I had a seizure. We went to A&E and I was admitted into hospital.” Over the following weekend Matthew had 15 more seizures.
He underwent CT and MRI scans. He said: “I work in the NHS, but you never think you are going to be the patient in that hospital bed. And then I met the neurosurgeons and they said, 'we’ve found something'.
“I’ve never been more afraid. Then hearing the words, that there is no cure, I just sat there and cried. “I looked at Lianne, and I have never seen someone look so determined.
In that moment, I absolutely knew that she would do whatever it takes to be there for me.” In November 2023, Matthew had surgery to reduce the size of the tumour, followed by radiotherapy and is now having chemotherapy which is due to finish in December. Matthew and Lianne with their two children (Image: Cancer Research UK) Matthew is married to his childhood sweetheart Lianne, a paediatric nurse, and together they have a daughter and a son.
He said: “I think about my children’s future every single day – a.
