After hallucinating that the floor at work had “bubbled” up, David Phillips, a 41 year old process operator and father of two, was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour and given a devastating prognosis of just one year to live. Initially ignoring his sporadic headaches, it wasn’t until he experienced this strange vision that his partner Kirby Phillips urged him to seek medical attention.
An emergency trip to the University Hospital Wales ensued, where a CT scan and MRI revealed he had a grade 4 glioblastoma. David faced a gruelling treatment plan including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and even surgery while awake.
Refusing to be constrained by the 12 to 14-month life expectancy, David and Kirby, a 38 year old occupational health administrator from Barry, South Wales, fast-tracked their wedding plans, tying the knot in an emotional ceremony within a month.
Kirby recounted the alarming symptoms: “Whilst David was at work, he began to see bubbles in the linoleum flooring. He said it looked like the floor bubbled a bit. However, when he pressed on them nothing was there and after touching what he believed to be bubbles he felt a weakness in his hand and arm. When we got the diagnosis and prognosis we weren’t going to accept what we’d been told. We’ve got to keep trying and trying. We won’t stop and give up.”
David started to experience brief, intermittent headaches in August 2024, ranging from half a minute to a couple of minutes in duration. He also faced issues with his speech and suffered visual disturbances. His partner, Kirby, urged him to see a doctor promptly, which led to an urgent hospital referral. At the hospital, CT scans and blood tests uncovered a mass in David’s brain, raising alarm bells about a potential tumour.
Further investigation through an MRI scan solidified their fears — David was diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma. Just two weeks after the initial symptoms appeared, on August 21, 2024, doctors broke the grim prognosis to David: with medical intervention, he had 12 to 14 months to live; without it, a mere three months.
Surgery was imperative, specifically an awake craniotomy, to remove as much of the tumour as possible. This was to be followed by rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Kirby recalls the harrowing moment they received the diagnosis, stating: “Time stopped and it was very fuzzy. We knew he wasn’t well but you never expect something like that is going to be the problem. We were just heartbroken.”
Before his cancer diagnosis, David and Kirby had been holding off their wedding in favour of saving for a home, even though they’d been engaged for eight years and together for 18. When confronted with David’s illness, they decided to tie the knot in front of a small group of 20 family and friends, including their daughters Madison, who is 20, and Mila-Rose, aged 11.
Kirby has opened up about the couple’s fierce determination in the wake of her partner David’s serious health battles, sharing: “Whilst this was going on, David and I were just not going to accept that that is it. We have a young family and we just did not want to give up and accept that that is it. One of the first things he said was ‘I want to marry you’. It was something happy and lovely to focus on. It was a lovely distraction.”
After undergoing a critical craniotomy on 4 September 2024, which managed to remove much of the tumour, David celebrated an incredible moment just a little over a month later. The couple tied the knot on 19 October 2024, in a touching ceremony at their local registry office. Kirby commented on the nuptials, remarking: “It was a small, intimate day but it was just gorgeous and perfect.”
Post-operation, David commenced a six-week course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy with the goal of extending his lifespan. In addition to these treatments, he is receiving private modulated electro-hyperthermia therapy, which attacks cancer cells with heat, costing the family £3,000 monthly.
In a remarkable act of generosity, well-wishers have poured in over £13,000 in donations to assist with David’s medical fees. With David also partaking in an NHS clinical trial, the couple is filled with optimism. They are currently preparing for another operation that may enable the implant of a new medical device, followed by weekly injections to facilitate DNA repair inside the tumour cells.
Echoing her partner’s self-reliant nature, Kirby stated: “David and I have never asked anyone for anything, we are very independent people. We work hard and pride ourselves on doing things ourselves.
“We can’t believe everybody’s kindness and generosity. It is a testament to how much people think of David and want him to get better. I am completely blown away. If someone gets some sort of help from the awareness – if they are experiencing those symptoms that they’ll do something about it. If one person can be helped that would be amazing.”
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