My battle with brain tumours and hope in immunotherapy

I am 48 years old, a father of three wonderful children. My family has always been at the centre of my life. It is very important for me to work and take care of them, while enjoying life's little pleasures together. I love hiking, biking, listening to music, reading and talking to my kids for hours. Dinners together, weekend activities and moments shared together give strength and meaning to everyday life. I never imagined that I would find myself in a situation where I would have to plan not my next family trip, but the fight for my own life, and that I would have to write lines like this.

In 2024, I started to have a never-ending headache. But on 13 August 2025, I suddenly became ill, fainted and had four epileptic fits that day. I was immediately admitted to hospital and had surgery four days later.

The operation was a success, but the histology came out with words no one wants to hear: malignant brain tumour, Glioblastoma (WHO grade 4).

This type of tumour is one of the most aggressive known. It can recur even if surgery is successful in removing all visible parts, because microscopic cells scattered throughout the brain continue to live. Even with surgery and conventional oncological treatment, the average survival time is only 10-15 months.

It was one of the darkest moments of my life.

Hope: immunotherapy in Germany

After surgery and diagnosis, I wanted to put all my efforts into recovery. I can get radiotherapy and chemotherapy at home, but unfortunately there is no option in Hungary that gives me a real chance of a longer life.

I did some research and found out that there is a clinic in Germany that offers personalised immunotherapy treatment. This is one of the most progressive treatments for Glioblastoma in the world. The therapy uses samples taken from the tumour and blood to create a personalised vaccine, tailored to me, which 'wakes up' my immune system to recognise and destroy the tumour cells.

The clinic's treatment has been featured in Nature, one of the world's most respected scientific journals, detailing the great results so far. The importance of the method is demonstrated by the fact that it has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The publication is available here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-51315-8

According to the clinic's statistics, 95% of patients can expect to survive for at least 32 months, with many patients living longer than 5 years with a good quality of life. For me, this means: there is a chance to see my children grow up and to have many more years together.

Treatment schedule and cost

Therapy consists of several steps:

1. analysis of histology and blood samples, followed by the preparation of the peptide chain on which the vaccine is based.

2. preparation of a personalised serum.

3. several days of clinical treatment in Germany.

4. 10 booster vaccinations every six weeks, also in Germany.

Total treatment duration 15-16 months.

Cost:

- basic treatment € 80 000

- Travel and accommodation: additional costs of about € 5 000

So a total of €85 000 is needed.

As this is an experimental clinic, unfortunately the Hungarian state and health insurance do not support the treatment, so we can only cover the costs from donations.

Starting the treatment

The clinic in Germany is ready to receive you, but treatment can only start if the necessary funding is available. The process is made up of several steps, each with a cost and duration:

1. Sampling and analysis - Getting a histological sample of the tumour and a fresh blood sample to the clinic.

- The clinic analyses these and prepares a personalised peptide chain based on DNA analysis.

- Cost: €20 000

- Duration: approximately 3-4 weeks

2. Production of the personalised serum - Once the peptide chain is in place, the production of the serum can start.

- Cost: €60 000

- Duration: approx. 2.5-3.5 months

3. First vaccination in Germany - After the serum is ready, I would receive the first vaccine during a 4-5 day clinical treatment.

4. booster vaccinations - I would have to travel to Germany 10 times in total over the next 15-16 months, roughly every 6 weeks, where I would receive booster vaccinations and doctors would continuously monitor and optimise my immune response.

So the most important thing now is to raise the €20,000 first instalment to get started, without which the treatment cannot begin.

Why is your help important?

For me, this therapy could mean not just months, but years. Time with my family, my children and my friends. Time to work again and get on with my life.

Every bit of support brings me closer to that chance.

When you contribute, you're not just helping to fund a treatment, you're supporting my life, my future, my family's hope.

How can you donate?

The donation process is simple and safe:

1. Click on the red "Donate" button.

2.

3. This is set to 20% by default, but you can change it freely or even set it to zero. It is important to know that this amount does not go to me, but to the team developing the site.

4.

5. if you wish, you can also give your email address and name so I can thank you personally for your help.

Finally, click on the "Donate" button and the usual card payment process will start.

The site will not charge you extra, the full amount goes directly to fund my treatment.

Thank you very much

I know times are tough and any support is a huge gift to me. Whether your contribution is small or large, it brings me closer to a chance of recovery.

If you have any questions about my story or treatment options, please feel free to contact me and I'd be happy to discuss them.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me in this fight!

Thomas

[email protected]

+36706178989