Fundraiser launched after brain tumour diagnosis

Mitch Middleton was told he had an inoperable brain tumour

A man with an inoperable brain tumour said he has been touched by the kindness of strangers who contributed to a fundraiser set up for him.

Mitch Middleton, 27, from Tamworth, started getting headaches and feeling sick while on holiday with his girlfriend in New York over Christmas.

A CT scan revealed a deep rooted tumour which cannot be operated on.

The fundraiser was set up by friends who hoped he may be able to get treatment faster.

The gas engineer said he had an inkling he had a tumour after looking up his symptoms on the internet, which included nausea and headaches that were worse in the morning.

When he went to the GP, he could not feel it when the doctor touched his head.

However, he said the doctor told him that he did not think there was anything to worry about, but would send him for a CT scan "to ease his mind".

A friend has set up a fundraiser in order to try and get private treatment for the 27-year-old

After being sent for the scan he said he could see a nurse looking at the results.

He said: "She looked at the screen and her jaw dropped. I said, 'I hope they're not coming to me next'."

Mr Middleton, a Wolves fan, was told he had an inoperable tumour which was 1.5cm (0.6in) long.

The tumour shrunk after he was given steroids and so he was taken off the medication to have a biopsy to determine its severity. But this has meant his symptoms have returned.

While the tumour is "too deep-rooted" to be operated on, doctors hope Mr Middleton can have chemotherapy and radiotherapy to "prolong his life".

"I'm not worried now, I've had quite a bit of time to process it," Mr Middleton said. "I'm OK, I've gone back to normal life.

"When I found out, I asked 'How long do I have left? Will I die tomorrow? Will I die next week?'

"Now, the worst thing is the waiting and looking for things that are going wrong with me. I keep closing my eyes and testing if my vision is still there. I wake up and think, is my sight going?"

His friend, DJ Fleur Shore, has set up the fundraiser to raise £80,000 for him to have private treatment. So far, £35,000 has been raised.

"It feels like the whole of Tamworth and the surrounding areas have come together to help. One random man has donated £300," Mr Middleton said.

A young Mitch with Wolves manager, Dave Jones, on the day of the 2003 Championship play-off final

It is not the first time Mr Middleton has encountered generosity from strangers.

In 2003, his father died aged 35, and his grandfather emailed the football club asking if young Mitch could be a mascot at an upcoming game.

The game was the Championship play-off final, a historic game for the club, which triumphed 3-0 over Sheffield United to secure the club's promotion into the Premier League after a wait of 19 years.

He walked on to the pitch with manager Dave Jones to the cheers of thousands of fans.