THE SON of a Stratford woman whose birthday pizza night ended in a seizure and, ultimately, the diagnosis of a brain tumour, is raising funds for a “remarkable” treatment.
Jillian Steveland was diagnosed with an inoperable Grade 4 glioblastoma – the most aggressive form of primary brain cancer – two days after her 59th birthday in 2024, after what had seemed like an ordinary evening out for pizza ended with a seizure and an emergency CT scan.
Her son Jordan says the warning signs had been there weeks earlier when she experienced strange flashing lights at work and was sent home from her job at an M&S cafe.
Against the odds, four consecutive MRI scans between May 2025 and April 2026 all showed reductions in tumour size – results Jordan describes as “remarkable” and which her clinical team have been watching closely. The most significant reduction came during the period she was using a rented hyperbaric oxygen chamber at home daily.
Jordan, who is Jillian’s only remaining family after losing the rest of his relatives in 2020, is raising £2,630 to cover delivery, deposit and three months’ rental of the chamber – saying he wants to give his mum “every possible advantage”.
Jordan said: “My mum Jillian is one of the most quietly strong people I’ve ever known. She’s never been the type to make a fuss. Never been the type to give up. So when she was diagnosed with an inoperable Grade 4 glioblastoma – the most aggressive form of primary brain cancer – in September 2024, she did what she’s always done. She got on with it. And she fought.
“We researched everything together. Changed her entire diet overnight. Started monitoring her blood levels daily with medical equipment. Went through six weeks of radiotherapy and chemotherapy – without surgery, because her tumour was in a location that made surgery impossible. She did all of this quietly, without complaint, and with the kind of determination that honestly makes me proud to be her son every single day.
“And her tumour has been shrinking. Not once. Not twice. Four consecutive MRI scans – May 2025, September 2025, January 2026, and April 2026 – have all shown reductions or nothing of concern. For an inoperable brain tumour with no surgery possible, that’s not supposed to happen. Her clinical team have been watching closely. The results have been remarkable.”
Research has shown that hyperbaric oxygen therapy combined with a therapeutic ketogenic diet can have powerful synergistic effects against glioblastoma, with some studies showing it can double survival time compared to either therapy alone.
Visit www.gofundme.com/f/help-bring-home-the-treatment-shrinking-mums-brain-tumour to donate.
