Fundraiser for ‘gentle soul’ Lancing father-of-two with terminal brain tumour

When father-of-two Graham Newman visited the doctor after suffering headaches, vomiting and blackouts, he received the news we all dread.
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The 39-year-old was told a scan had revealed a brain tumour that, even if operated on, left him with a maximum of two years to live.

Graham, who has a four-year-old son and a 15-year-old daughter, underwent brain surgery on Thursday, but now faces debilitating chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment.

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“When I got the diagnosis I was sick and just shocked I guess,” said Graham, who worked seven days a week as a carer.

Graham Newman SUS-200915-180032001Graham Newman SUS-200915-180032001
Graham Newman SUS-200915-180032001

“It’s a lot to take in and digest, but it is sinking in slowly. Obviously, now I just want to see my kids as much as I can and build those memories up.”

He said doctors had told him that without surgery he could only have around three months to live.

But they believe ‘about 90 per cent’ of his tumour had been removed during the operation, which could extend his life by around two years with additional treatment.

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Graham’s plan now is to maximise the time he has left and a fundraiser has been set up by his friend, Melody Rayfield, to support him and his children.

Graham was renting a room in Melody’s house when he first fell ill, and it was Melody who took him to the doctor when his condition deteriorated.

She will be walking the 21 miles from Brighton Pier to Eastbourne Pier on October 19 and said she wanted to do whatever she could to help.

“Graham’s what I call a gentle soul, a bit of a gentle giant,” she said.

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“He’s just a lovely, kind person, really fun, got a great sense of humour.

“Even when he was in agony he still managed to smile.

“He just kept saying ‘I can’t believe this is happening’, but he’s up and down – he still writes the odd joke and things on Facebook – and taking each day as it comes.

“The first thing I would think about is having the panic of not being able to do something for my children.”

Melody said it was clear from the reaction to the news on Facebook that Graham was well loved and cared about by a lot of people.

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As his friends rally round, she added her band was preparing for a small performance on his doorstep once he was back at home.

Graham has been advised he will now have to spend precious remaining months of his life shielding, as contracting coronavirus now would likely be fatal.

He is set to undergo rehabilitation at Royal Sussex County Hospital, before returning to his parents’ home in Newhaven.

Melody said she was trying to think of little things she could do to give him and his children nice experiences, even if it is ‘just a bit of money for a trust fund’.

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She will be joined on her pier to pier walk by some of Graham’s friends, which should take more than seven hours – perhaps longer considering she described herself as ‘incredibly unfit’.

You can donate to Graham’s fundraiser, which currently stands at just over £400, here: https://uk.gofundme.com/f/funds-to-help-friend-who-has-brain-cancer