FAMILY and friends of a Wellington man given possibly 12 to 18 months to live after being diagnosed with a rare form of incurable brain tumour are trying to raise £20,000 to support his family.

Danny Wyatt, who turned 35 years old on New Year’s Eve, had to give up work in Taunton as a surveyor after the diagnosis and has been travelling to Bristol for treatment.

A ‘Team Danny’ campaign has been set up by his brother-in-law Aaron Gates for fund-raising and also to raise awareness of the aggressive Oligodendroglioma brain cancer.

Mr Gates said more than £11,000 had been brought in so far and a number of fund-raising events were being planned during 2024.

Mr Gates said: “Danny was experiencing headaches for just under three months which led to him going to A&E.

“After carrying out tests, a large mass the size of a tennis ball was found, and within less than a week he was devastated to be diagnosed with the prognosis of an incurable brain tumour which can carry a life expectancy of just 12 to 18 months.

“Danny is going to endure operations along with daily two-hour round trips to Bristol to undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy.”

Mr Wyatt’s wife Leoni has also had to temporarily give up work in the Tonedale One Stop convenience store to care for him.

The couple have four children, Reece, aged 16, Daniel, aged 14, Jessica, aged 10, and five-year-old Joshua.

Mr Gates said: “The ‘Team Danny’ campaign has been established to raise awareness of the severity of his prognosis, and help to financially support Danny and his family, while he battles with the up and coming months.

“Funds will contribute to medical expenses, household bills, and making lasting memories with his beautiful family.

“As part of this, we will be doing everything in our power to support Danny and his family, holding a number of fund-raising events which will be live on the Facebook page in the near future.

“Any help, big or small, will be greatly received and genuinely appreciated, so please do whatever you can to help this worthy cause.”

The family has also had to go on the local authority housing waiting list because traffic noise in their town centre rented home was breaking Mr Wyatt’s sleep and putting him at greater risk of seizures.

However, Somerset Council has only given them a ‘silver banding’ and because they need a larger house they have been told it will take time to find one, adding to their financial pressures.

Anybody who wants to support the fund-raising can find the ‘Team Danny’ Gofundme page here.

Another £1,000 was raised by Mr Wyatt’s son Daniel and his friends at Court Fields school, when they had their heads shaved for sponsorship before Christmas.

Mr Wyatt’s mother-in-law Saz Back, who works for solicitors Risdon Hosegood, is also cycling a mile for every £1 in sponsorship and is more than half-way toward her 1,000 miles target.

She aims to complete the challenge by January 24, which is the date on which Mr Wyatt will finish radiotherapy treatment, following which he will start a course of chemotherapy.

Mrs Back said: “It is never going to cure it, we are only buying him time, but it is whether we are buying him a year or 10 years.

“You do not want to think about the worst, but you have to plan for the worst.

“My dedication to this cycling challenge goes beyond the miles I will ride, it is a testament to my love for Danny and his family, and my commitment to a better future for all those affected by brain tumours.

“All donations will directly support Danny’s medical needs and provide him and his family with the resources necessary for this challenging journey as well as his everyday bills and expenses.”