A promising medical student's life was turned upside down after a casual FaceTime call during a takeaway order led to a devastating brain tumour diagnosis.
A Fateful Call and a Rapid Decline
In May last year, Alex Warwick, a 23-year-old medicine student at the University of Liverpool, was chatting to a friend on FaceTime while ordering food. His friend immediately noticed something was wrong with Alex's speech. Shortly after returning home, Alex told his housemates he felt unwell.
The situation deteriorated rapidly. His concerned friends rushed him to the Royal Liverpool Hospital. Doctors initially suspected a stroke, but after being transferred to Aintree Hospital, Alex received the shattering news: he had a brain tumour and required emergency surgery.
A Devastating Prognosis and the Search for Hope
Alex was diagnosed with a very high-grade glioma, treated as a glioblastoma. This aggressive cancer typically carries a prognosis of just 12 to 18 months. Surgeons removed a substantial part of the tumour, but Alex needed follow-up chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
His parents, Ian and Indira, relocated from Devon to Huyton to support him. "The community there was amazing. All the neighbours rallied round to support us through this whole process," Ian said.
Sadly, Alex's tumour has shown regrowth after chemotherapy. With his standard NHS treatment plan nearing its end, his family has been advised to explore private options. They are now urgently seeking a pioneering immunotherapy treatment available in Germany, with total costs estimated at £200,000.
A Community Rallies to Fund Lifesaving Treatment
Alex's loved ones have launched a fundraising campaign, which has already gathered an incredible £58,000. "I have been amazed at people's generosity, within about 12 hours we hit £10k," Alex said. He emphasised that every contribution, big or small, is vital.
His close friend and fellow medical student, John Johnson, who was with him at the hospital, described Alex as "bubbly and funny" and said he'd had a "massive impact" on his life.
Despite the immense challenge, Alex has completed his master's degree and aims to return to his studies in Liverpool this September. "I am trying to keep some sense of normality, because obviously this has all been quite a shock," he stated.
His father, Ian, praised the NHS care but acknowledged the difficult road ahead: "Unfortunately all of it is experimental from here on in... It's such a shame because the NHS has been simply brilliant throughout all of this."
