A pilot from the Bingley area of Bradford has described how his world was turned upside down after learning he had a brain tumour that cannot be surgically removed.
Barry Coutts, a 39-year-old father of two young girls, considered himself an ordinary family man until tests confirmed several weeks ago that he was suffering from a tumour known as oligodendroglioma.
Originally born in Dundee, Mr Coutts has spent the past twenty years working as an airline pilot based in London. He was living contentedly with his wife Kerrie and their daughters Myla, aged seven, and four-year-old Adalyn.
That peaceful existence came to an abrupt end when he experienced a seizure in January this year.
Following numerous medical scans and specialist appointments, doctors informed the Bingley resident that he had a brain tumour. However, because of its dimensions, operative removal was not an option.
A crowdfunding campaign has been established to gather essential funds that would enable Mr Coutts to pursue treatments not accessible through the National Health Service. At the time of publication, supporters had contributed £10,748.
Donations can be made through the GoFundMe page set up to support Barry and his family.
The former pilot is currently receiving radiotherapy treatment five days weekly at a facility in Leeds, after which he will commence a course of chemotherapy. Medical professionals have indicated he may be able to tolerate approximately six cycles of chemotherapy, which would extend through February 2027. Beyond that point, no further treatment options have been identified, which represents the primary challenge currently facing him and his family. These therapeutic approaches cannot continue indefinitely.
Mr Coutts has established an Instagram profile under the handle to chronicle this difficult period. The account has already attracted 13,000 followers.
Although he typically prefers to keep personal matters private and values his independence, Mr Coutts understands the significance of being open about his experience. He explained that the Instagram account was created primarily because such conditions can remain hidden for lengthy periods without detection. He noted that prior to the seizure, he was in excellent physical condition with no health concerns whatsoever. The seizure occurred while he was returning home from London following a long-haul flight. Within minutes, his entire perspective and health circumstances were transformed. This realisation was a key motivation for establishing the page to encourage people to seek medical attention for persistent symptoms rather than dismissing them.
Several weeks before the seizure, Mr Coutts had noticed some mild pins and needles sensations but dismissed these as likely caused by sleeping awkwardly or travelling across multiple time zones.
Subsequent hospital appointments, consultations and a brain biopsy followed. Tissue samples from the tumour underwent laboratory analysis, with the detailed results requiring several weeks to process. The formal diagnosis was only confirmed in recent weeks.
Mr Coutts observed that treatment options available in America do not seem accessible within Britain or carry prohibitively high price tags. His quest to identify alternative therapeutic approaches is only just commencing and will be contingent upon test outcomes and the availability of suitable clinical trials. He characterised the expense of private medical care and medications as staggering, noting that merely having a medical case reviewed by an American specialist incurs charges and certain drugs carry daily costs reaching hundreds of pounds.
As a pilot, Mr Coutts previously possessed the ability to simultaneously process multiple conversations but has recently observed this capability has diminished. While he has not yet encountered what are considered typical brain tumour symptoms such as headaches, dizziness and nausea, he acknowledged that his diagnosis has impacted virtually every aspect of his existence.
As a father to two active young daughters, he has encountered a substantial reduction in personal freedom since learning of his condition. For instance, he has been instructed that he can no longer operate a vehicle. Simple pleasures like transporting his children to their evening dance lessons are no longer possible.