George Wade, a 42-year-old man from North Yorkshire, initially dismissed serious symptoms as merely the effects of a hangover. Last March, after a day at the Cheltenham races, he experienced severe headaches, memory loss, and nausea triggered by car headlights, attributing it all to excessive alcohol consumption.
However, the situation escalated the following month when George experienced weakness on the left side of his body and facial drooping, leading him to believe he had suffered a stroke. Despite initial tests returning normal results, his brother-in-law, Dr. Caspar Wood, insisted on further investigation due to a suspicion of a stroke, prompting an MRI scan.
The MRI scan revealed shocking news: George had two brain tumors. “Ellie called Caspar who assumed it may be a stroke,” George recalls. Despite normal initial blood and eye tests, Caspar scheduled an MRI for April 18 as a precaution. “I was told I have two brain tumors—a large one on the right side of my head, likened to the size of a tennis ball, and another smaller one the size of a squash ball in the middle.” Doctors suggested the larger tumor might have been growing for 20 years.
Upon receiving his diagnosis, George was overwhelmed. “When I was told my diagnosis, it was a shock, I honestly felt helpless and that I was done for,” he said. The past year has involved extensive treatment, including an eight-hour surgery and six months of chemotherapy. He also undergoes regular MRI scans every three months to monitor the astrocytomas, a type of brain tumor that develops from astrocyte cells.
Despite the challenges, George has transformed his lifestyle, adopting a healthier diet and losing weight. “I was lucky that I had an MRI scan… it could have been a lot worse,” George reflected. “In many ways, I feel fitter and healthier than I have ever been after what’s happened.” Encouraged by his brother-in-law, he resumed running.
George is now actively fundraising for charity by auctioning painted gavels through The Gavel Trail and Auction via the Bidpath Foundation. Auctioneers from the UK and beyond are participating by commissioning artists to decorate blank gavels. An auction will be held at the Surveyors House at RICS Westminster, London, and bids can be placed here.
In addition to his fundraising efforts, George has completed 20 marathons, including the London Marathon earlier this year in three hours and 16 minutes, raising nearly £50,000 for The Brain Tumour Charity and the National Brain Appeal.