‘Devastating’
Mitch Jenderko
A man’s headaches put down to ‘work stress’ were a sign of an aggressive and incurable brain tumour. Mitch Jenderko, 31, began getting headaches in early 2024 which he put down to long hours and spending too long staring at a computer screen.
But in mid-July, he had a seizure while at work, landing him in hospital – and brain scans revealed a tumour which was initially thought to be low-grade and benign.
But doctors began to suspect it might be more alarming than that after seeing “major changes in the tumour’s behaviour” in a later scan, and Mitch was sent for emergency surgery in September 2024.
Six weeks on, in October 2024, a biopsy of the tissue revealed it was an aggressive, grade four astrocytoma, and he was told he likely had 18 months to two years to live.
He and now-wife Gemma Jenderko, 32, wed six months after the surgery, determined to make the most of their time together. They are now expecting their first child together.
Mitch, a former recruitment consultant, said: “I did have headaches but nothing I would have put down to more than everyday work stress, long hours and a fast-paced job. But then I had a seizure at work, and after that they found the brain tumour.
“After having the surgery at Royal Stoke University Hospital there was an agonising wait for the results of the biopsy – and that’s when it came back that I had a very aggressive kind of cancer. Even the team were shocked when it turned out to be stage four. Learning the prognosis is 18 to 24 months when you’ve just turned 30 is a very bitter pill to swallow.”
Gemma, a senior talent partner, said: “I have PTSD from the appointment where we were told Mitch had stage four cancer. Your world just falls apart, it didn’t feel real. It was devastating. Now we’re just taking things three months at a time for each scan, but the baby is giving us something to keep positive for.”
Speaking of the news it was incurable, Gemma said: “It hit us like a ton of bricks. From this point on we had to not only process this ourselves but also work out how to break the devastating news to family and friends.”
The following month, Mitch proposed to Gemma and began radiotherapy and chemotherapy over eight months.
Mitch even had chemotherapy the morning of their wedding day in May 2025.
Mitch said: “Treatment was intense, not just physically but mentally. I wasn’t sleeping well and every day was draining. It was really hard.”
Since then his scans have been clear, but due to its incurable nature, the cancer is likely to return.
Gemma said: “The prognosis remains the same, incurable, regardless of stable scans.”
Their baby is due in January.
Mitch said: “I’m very positive and keep a great outlook. My last scan came back clear, and then finding out Gem is pregnant, it was a double dose of good news for us.”
Shannon Winslade, head of services at The Brain Tumour Charity, said: “We’re really grateful to everyone who shares their – often heartbreaking – story to raise awareness. We know that every family deals with a diagnosis and its aftermath in their own unique way. That’s why The Brain Tumour Charity offers support to anyone who needs it. It’s so important for them to know that they are not alone.”
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