A woman has made a desperate plea to save her husband, whose health has declined rapidly since being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Rohima Mughal’s ‘devoted’ husband Mohsin was diagnosed with a brain tumour, later identified as an inoperable grade 4 glioblastoma (GBM), on their 15 wedding anniversary in May this year.

The father-of-three, from Luton, who was working as a specialist biomedical engineer, had been suffering with pains in his shoulder and foot, a loss of hearing, muddled words and confusion. 

Mohsin, 42, has since had radiotherapy and chemotherapy but continues to suffer from fatigue, debilitating joint pains and confusion. He is hoping to travel to Germany to source life-prolonging treatment. The problem though, is that treatment is prohibitively expensive, which has left his family with no option but to crowdfund.

Rohima, who is working with the charity Brain Tumour Research to highlight the desperate situation said: “I’d already been searching the world far and wide for different treatments after finding out his tumour was wildtype and unmethylated, so less likely to respond effectively to chemo drugs, but now we know it hasn’t worked, this is more urgent than ever.

“There are some good treatment options in the US, but we are not able to get insurance to take Mohsin there. However, I’ve found IOZK Immunotherapy and CeGat in Germany, which are extremely expensive and would need to be started soon.

“IOZK offers a personalised therapy, which aims to mobilise the body’s own immune response, so that it can fight against the growth of the tumour. It costs an estimated £100,000 - £116,000 and can start around four weeks after the end of chemo, so we’re looking to get Mohsin there for the first week of October. 

“We have been told he is currently a good candidate because his mobility isn’t too affected, something some people wrongly assume means he isn’t as sick as he is. However, if his mobility and symptoms deteriorate further, this treatment may no longer be accessible, and so we cannot wait.

“CeGat uses genetic tumour diagnostics to tailor individual treatments and costs around £60,000. Researching everything has been a bit of a minefield, but we have paid for private consultants to get impartial opinions about the best course of action and hope these options will allow Mohsin more time to watch his children grow up.”

She added: “It’s been very stressful and I’ve lost a lot of weight and sleep as a result. I live in a world of doubt and constant uncertainty now, always wondering if I’m doing the right thing and not wanting to fail Mohsin or our children. 

“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has donated so far. Their support has given us the hope and strength to keep fighting. It’s overwhelming to think so many loved ones and strangers would want to help our little family.

“We’re humbled by everyone’s generosity but the reality is that the costs of private treatment are astronomical and we still have a long way to go to be able to afford it.”

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet, historically, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease. 

“This historic lack of investment in research has resulted in very limited treatment options for brain tumour patients here in the UK.

"This leaves families like Mohsin’s feeling they have no option but to fund expensive treatments abroad, adding to their stress and anxiety at what is likely already the most difficult time in their lives. This is an outrageous situation and our hearts go out to them.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK.

It also campaigns for the Government and the larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure.

The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia and is also campaigning for greater repurposing of drugs.

To donate to the family’s crowdfunding page click here