Kate and Andy Coward with children Jack, Andy, and Georgia(Image: Brain Tumour Research)

Dad dies after being given shock diagnosis

His family have been left devastated - RIP Andy

by · PlymouthLive

A Westcountry father has died after receiving a heartbreaking diagnosis, which was discovered after he struggled to play one of his favourite sports and was unable to recognise his own family.

Andy Coward's teenage sons noticed he wasn't himself while they were playing golf. They said the construction worker was playing "like he'd never picked up a club before".

A hospital appointment found nothing amiss - but his condition rapidly worsened and he was diagnosed with a glioblastoma - an incurable brain tumour.

Andy, from Martock, passed away in December 2020 at the age of 48, just 20 weeks after his diagnosis. His children Jack, Lewis and Georgia were 16, 18 and 21 years old respectively when he died, reports Somerset Live.

His wife Kate said: "Andy came home and went straight to bed, which wasn't like him. It was during the Covid pandemic, so it was very difficult to get an appointment with the GP. I took Andy to A&E where he had to go in on his own. They found nothing wrong.

"Georgia, who was training to be a nurse, managed to get her dad a GP appointment which resulted in the recommendation for him to have his eyes checked out. Before that happened, however, Andy started vomiting and, scarily, he didn't know who anyone was, including me."

Kate escorted Andy back to A&E and this time was permitted to accompany him. After two hours of tests and a scan, he was diagnosed with two brain tumours.

Devastatingly, the couple were informed that surgery, which posed a significant risk of brain damage, would only be able to remove part of the tumour and that it would inevitably regrow despite radiotherapy and chemotherapy. They made the heart-wrenching choice to forgo treatment, leaving Andy with a survival prognosis of merely three weeks.

Kate shared: "Andy survived 20 weeks, albeit some of those he was bed-bound with Georgia and me taking on all his care. He was determined to survive for Georgia's 21st birthday, which thankfully he did."

Kate and Andy Coward, 48, who died from a brain tumour in 2020(Image: Brain Tumour Research)

Since losing Andy, Kate has raised over £10,000 to support research into finding a cure for this cruel illness. Together with her friend Mandy Cregan, she has taken on a series of challenges including a virtual London Marathon, 10,000 Steps in February, Cycling 274 Miles in August, and participating in the London Landmarks Half Marathon as well as the Ham Hill to Lyme Regis 50km run.

In honour of Andy, Kate has funded three days of research, and earlier this month, the charity Brain Tumour Research invited her, Georgia, and Mandy to its Centre of Excellence at the University of Plymouth. The trio visited to see firsthand how their fundraising efforts are aiding scientists in their quest to find a cure for brain tumours.

During their visit, they toured the laboratories under the guidance of centre director Professor Oliver Hanemann, engaging with researchers about their work towards a cure. They also placed three tiles in memory of Andy on the Wall of Hope.

Kate said: "It was very interesting talking to the scientists about their work to find a cure, but quite alarming to discover that the South West of England tops the list of regions with the greatest number of people diagnosed with brain tumours. It was very emotional seeing Andy's name on the Wall of Hope, although some comfort to think about how his memory is helping to move the dial closer to a cure for brain tumours."

On the same day as their visit, it was made public that Plymouth scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in the treatment of certain brain tumours.

(From left) Mandy Cregan, Georgia Coward & Kate Coward at the Wall of Hope at Brain Tumour Research's Centre of Excellence at the University of Plymouth. Kate sponsored three days of research after fundraising in memory of her husband Andy, who died in 2020 after being diagnosed with a bran tumour(Image: Brain Tumour Research)

Louise Aubrey, who oversees community development for Brain Tumour Research, stated: "We're really grateful to Kate and Mandy for their incredible support and generosity. We hope that their visit to our Centre of Excellence at the University of Plymouth offered a useful insight into all we're doing to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately, find a cure.

"Just 12% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 54% across all cancers, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002. This has to change."

Brain Tumour Research is a UK-based organisation that funds sustainable research at dedicated centres. It also advocates for the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more in brain tumour research, with the aim of accelerating new treatments for patients and ultimately finding a cure.

For more information on how to sponsor a day of research, visit www.braintumourresearch.org/fundraise/sponsor-a-day.

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