A family has told of their grief after a GP dismissed a father-of-two’s incurable brain tumour and said he had depression.
Life-long Sheffield Wednesday football fan Jamie Acaster, from Eckington in Derbyshire, suddenly found it to difficult to recall player’s names and follow conversations.
But after arranging several GP appointments, the 48-year-old was shocked to hear a doctor say his symptoms were due to depression.
It was only after his condition worsened and he failed to remember every day words and phrases that his sister Donna Sayle, a nurse, urged him in April 2023 to visit A&E.
Referred for an MRI scan at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, tests then showed he had a high-grade glioblastoma — one of the deadliest types of brain tumours.
Treatment for the ‘aggressive’ cancer—which strikes around 3,000 Brits and 12,000 Americans each years—sees patients have surgery before chemo and radiotherapy.
Despite undergoing surgery to remove 95 per cent of the mass and months of grueling treatment—he died on September 1, 2024, less than a year and a half after his diagnosis.
Now, his family, from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, are urging others not to ignore the red flag signs of the condition.
Life-long Sheffield Wednesday football fan Jamie Acaster, from Eckington in Derbyshire, suddenly found it to difficult to recall player’s names and follow conversations. Pictured, Jamie with daughter Ava and son Harry at a Sheffield Wednesday match
The results of an MRI scan at Chesterfield Royal Hospital later revealed the devastating cause was a glioblastoma—one of the deadliest types of brain tumours
Ms Sayle, 52, said: ‘Jamie was a massive Sheffield Wednesday fan, but he started forgetting the names of players he’d known all his life—even the really well-known ones.
‘He told me, “things just don’t match,” and that’s when I knew something wasn’t right—it was so unlike him.
‘When he started calling me to say things didn’t make sense or he couldn’t remember people’s names, I knew something wasn’t right.
‘He visited his GP several times, but they said he was depressed—Jamie knew he wasn’t.
‘I was at work when he finally phoned and said they’d found a shadow on a scan.
‘He said “they think it’s a brain tumour”. I left work immediately—it was crushing.’
After his glioblastoma diagnosis he was told he had 12 to 18 months to live.
Patients usually undergo surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible.
After his glioblastoma diagnosis he was told he had 12 to 18 months to live. Patients usually undergo surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible. Pictured, Jamie with daughter Ava and son Harry at a Sheffield Wednesday match
The previously healthy father had to take up to 50 medications a day after developing liver and kidney problems, swelling caused by steroids
This is followed by daily radiation and chemo drugs for around six weeks, after which the drugs are scaled back.
Despite the surgery removing the majority of the tumour, Mr Acaster didn’t respond well to treatment, suffering serious side effects.
The previously healthy father had to take up to 50 medications a day after developing liver and kidney problems, swelling caused by steroids.
Then he developed pulmonary embolisms, which can be life-threatening, further limiting his treatment options.
This is when a blood clot travels to the lung and can cause chest pain, difficulty breathing, and coughing up blood.
Recalling her brother’s heartbreaking ordeal, Ms Sayle said: ‘He went through so much and his treatments were relentless.
‘His body reacted badly to nearly everything—the medications, the chemotherapy, and even steroids.
‘But despite it all, his personality never left him. He was still cracking jokes in his final days. Even the night before he died, he was laughing with us.
Jamie died on September 1, 2024, in hospital after suffering a fatal blood clot in the lungs
In memory of the father, his family did a 14-miile fundraising walk on what would have been his 49th birthday on March 10, raising almost £2000 for Brain Tumour Trust
He died on September 1, 2024, in hospital after suffering a fatal blood clot in the lungs.
The much-loved father left behind two children, Ava, 15, and Harry, 12, his wife, also called Donna, 50.
‘Jamie was the kind of person who lit up every room he walked into,’ Ms Sayle said.
‘He had a way of bringing people together, whether it was family or friends. He absolutely loved socialising and was always getting people round the house.’
She added: ‘One of his proudest roles was running his son’s football team. He coached them from a very young age, right through their teenage years.’
In memory of the father, his family undertook a 14-mile fundraising walk on what would have been his 49th birthday, on March 10—raising almost £2000 for Brain Tumour Trust.
It is the only national charity dedicated to finding a cure for all types of brain tumours.
Ms Sayle added: ‘We need more awareness and more funding to help the thousands of patients and families who are affected by this horrible disease.’
The Wanted singer Tom Parker (pictured with his wife Kelsey Parker in October 2021) died in March 2022 following an 18-month battle with stage four glioblastoma. He said after his diagnosis that he was ‘shocked’ at the limited treatment options for GBM and ‘massive improvements’ were needed
The cancer, which is diagnosed in around 3,000 Brits and 12,000 Americans a year, is still treated in the same way it was in the early 2000s. It killed the Labour politician Dame Tessa Jowell in 2018
Andy McWilliams, community development manager at the charity, also said: ‘Jamie’s story highlights the urgent need for more funding and awareness.’
About 3,000 patients in Britain and 12,000 in America are diagnosed with glioblastoma each year.
The disease famously killed the Labour politician Dame Tessa Jowell in 2018.
In March 2022, The Wanted singer Tom Parker also died following an 18-month battle with glioblastoma.
Symptoms often include headaches, seizures, nausea and vomiting, as well as drowsiness.
Memory loss, difficulty with speech, changes in vision and even personality changes are other common signs of the tumour, according to the NHS.
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