In January 2024 Duncan was diagnosed with brain cancer. He has Glioblastoma - often known as GBM - one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer. Despite fantastic advances in many other areas of cancer care, there has been little progress in treatments offered to patients facing this diagnosis. The three established treatments are to operate where possible (which it is not in Duncan’s case) followed by chemo and radiotherapy. Even with these treatments the average survival time is devastatingly short.

In the face of this brutal new reality our fundraising campaign has two objectives. Firstly, to raise funds for Duncan’s treatment and enable us to do everything we can to keep him well and here with us and his children for as long as possible. Secondly, we want to raise money for charities working in this area – in particular OurBrainBank (OBB), the patient led charity which is fighting to change glioblastoma from terminal to treatable. There is a little more about Duncan at the end of this page and we will share more about planned fundraising activity over time.

Duncan is undergoing the mainstream treatments in this area under the excellent care of Charing Cross hospital. In addition, he is starting two additional strands of treatment which are not yet widely available – one based on research from US which uses Tumour Treating Fields and immunotherapy which will require Duncan to travel regularly to Germany for a period of time. Currently these treatments are not funded by the NHS in the UK or, in some cases, by private healthcare. Looking to take advantage of pioneering treatment inevitably means an extra degree of uncharted territory so the treatment plan may change and if so funds will be directed accordingly.

It is important to Duncan that our fundraising plays a part in the wider battle against GBM as well as helping fund his treatment. OurBrainBank was set up by Jessica Morris after her own glioblastoma diagnosis and you can read more about her inspirational story and the charity here Home - OurBrainBank for Glioblastoma.

We plan to use 70% of the funds raised to support Duncan’s treatment and 30% to go to cancer charities including OBB. Any residual funds not needed for Duncan’s treatment will go to OBB and other cancer charities.

A little about Duncan

Duncan is a father of three precious children and with his wife they live in West London. Duncan owns and has run a successful business in Reading employing 5 people for over 20 years. He has 6 wonderful siblings and a heritage which hails from Italy which is kept alive through family gatherings and holidays. Duncan also loves science and shares this love continuously with his children and frankly anyone who will listen. Prior to his cancer diagnosis his world revolved around these elements with a day to day of work, taking children to football, dance or drama and hanging out with friends. Basically, life was pretty normal until a routine MRI that turned out not to be routine.

The world stopped. Life fell apart and we, his family, became heartbroken.

We need more time; his youngest needs her Dad to see her into secondary school; his son needs a father through his teenage years and his eldest wants her Dad with her through her GCSE’s. We want far more of course, but possibly, if we can throw everything at this horrible disease, we might get these.

With thanks and love from Duncan's family x