A BOURNEMOUTH man has defied the odds after being diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour in August 2021 and given a year prognosis.

Steve Hawker, 44, from Bournemouth was diagnosed in August 2021 with Grade 4 Glioblastoma and given 9 to 12 months to live.

Steve is still fighting today, one year and four months later.

He discovered the shocking news after going to the doctor to arrange an MRI scan after suffering severe headaches and speech loss. 

Unfortunately, the results confirmed his "worst fears".

A neurosurgeon explained he had two choices; "do nothing with only a few weeks to live" or "have brain surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible," followed by additional treatment to prolong his life.

Before he had time to process it, he made the decision to have surgery.

Bournemouth Echo:

After 14 years of being together, Steve and his partner Lizzie Hawker have been making the most of their time together by taking on a variety of challenges and activities.

Lizzy said: "It was a big shock to start with and our whole world turned upside down.

"We are trying to stay positive and doing as many fun things as possible, but it's very difficult knowing our together time is limited. 

"After being together for 14 years, this year we got married in Scotland, Loch Lomond, this is our happy place and we had all our close family and friends share the special day.

"We have then been making the most of seeing friends and spending quality time with the ones we love.

"Our dream has always been to go to Disney, this became a reality with the support of friends and family and have just recently returned from a magical trip to Disneyland Paris."

Bournemouth Echo:

Steves's latest scan has shown some tumour regrowth, he is due to start chemotherapy treatment again soon.

He suffers from headaches and the side effects of the medication have made him weak and less mobile. 

Steve turned 44, on November 25, a milestone he did not think he would reach. 

You can donate to Steve's Go Fund Me page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-stevehawker?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unknown&utm_campaign=comms_zlg8+support-stevehawker

You can also follow his journey on his Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/lizzyandsteves.adventures/