A SHOCKED dad who found out his trapped nerve was actually an incurable brain tumour will be joined by hundreds of people when he walks through Bradford later this month for charity.

More than 200 people so far have signed up to support 42-year-old Neil Grist on a twilight walk for The Brain Tumour Charity on October 22 and a justgiving page has already smashed a £500 target, topping £3,000 already.

Mr Grist, of Thackley, whose family and friends will be among the walkers, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in May this year.

In March he had a seizure and collapsed but paramedics who responded to his wife’s 999 call thought he had fainted and was possibly suffering from a trapped nerve due to the pain in his back and leg.

Mr Grist, who is a national account manager for a scaffolding company, was sent home from the hospital, referred to the faint clinic and booked in for a CT scan on his back the following month – but after having 16 seizures in one day he was rushed to hospital again for an urgent CT scan on his brain.

His wife Andrea, 45, who is head teacher at Russell Hall Primary School in Queensbury, said: “The doctors told us that they had found something but that they weren’t sure what is was. They decided to put Neil on watch and wait and ordered another scan for four weeks’ time. The wait was agonising.”

Results of the second scan showed that the growth had increased dramatically in size and doctors confirmed it was a brain tumour. A biopsy revealed that it was a glioblastoma, an aggressive form of cancer.

Mrs Grist said: “As you can imagine it was the biggest shock of our lives. Neil had always been sporty and healthy and up until recently had never had any health problems. To be told that it can’t be cured is devastating. However Neil is very positive and we are facing this fight together.”

Mr Grist is hoping to complete the 10K walk through Bradford with his loved ones by his side.

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Mrs Grist added: “Neil has recently completed radiotherapy and at the time of the walk will be one month into chemotherapy. The Twilight Walk is about doing something practical to raise funds for a tremendous charity who are working hard to find a cure for this terrible condition.”

The Brain Tumour Charity is encouraging supporters to hold their own twilight walks during October. See thebraintumourcharity.org/get-involved/thetwilightwalk/ To donate, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/andrea-grist