(Image: FAMILY)
A Darlington woman says her family are "living in an awful nightmare" after her beloved uncle was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer.
Alex Harrison, 28, said her family's lives changed forever when her uncle David Holmes was diagnosed with a grade four glioblastoma in May, at the age of just 54.
David, who has lived in Darlington all his life, had experienced headaches and blurred vision before going into hospital, where doctors discovered the brain tumour.
Since then, Alex said her uncle, who she describes as her best friend and "like a dad" to her, has deteriorated significantly and is now bedbound and receiving round-the-clock care.
Alex said: "It's like living in some sort of awful nightmare.
"Some days you think, 'Gosh, is that really happening to us? Is it really true?' It's been really tough."
Before his diagnosis, former toolmaker David had been fit, independent and active, regularly playing sport and riding his bike.
He grew up in Neasham, attended Hurworth School during his younger years and is a Darlington FC supporter.
Alex said: "He's been like a dad to me since I was young.
"He's my best friend, we did everything together."
Alex and her uncle David
"We would go and watch the cricket and go to the darts. He would come round to my house every week, we've always been really close," she added.
Alex said the diagnosis came as a huge shock to David and the rest of the family.
She said: "It wasn't what we were expecting. We just expected them to say, 'Oh, you know, a bump on the head, you'll be all right.'
"But for then to be told, 'You've got an incurable disease' and, 'you're lucky if you live 12 to 18 months', it came as a massive shock.
"It really wasn't what me or the family were expecting. I don't think he was expecting that either."
Alex said one of the most difficult things for the family has been seeing the change in David since his diagnosis.
She said: "It's a total difference; he's completely bedbound now.
"He's gone from being so active, and now he's got carers; he's not able to do things for himself now.
"For somebody who has lived their whole life so independently and to now have that taken away from him, it's been really difficult to see."
Following her uncle's diagnosis, Alex decided she wanted to do something to support research into brain tumours while also raising awareness of the disease.
She will now walk 99 miles throughout November as part of a challenge raising money for Brain Tumour Research.
Writing on her JustGiving page, she said: "Watching my uncle go through this is something I wish no family ever had to experience.
"I'm doing this for him. For the time we have together. For my family.
"And for every person and family whose lives have been turned upside down by a brain tumour diagnosis."
Alex initially hoped to raise £300, but said the response from friends, family and people who know David quickly exceeded anything she had expected.
She said she passed her original target in around an hour before going on to raise more than £1,000 within 48 hours.
The JustGiving page has since raised more than £1,300.
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Alex said: "The response so far has been overwhelming. It's been amazing to see, even the messages that people are putting on.
"He's just such a good person. He puts other people first, and he's always done everything for everybody else.
"Now is our time to put him first and do everything we can."
You can donate to the fundraiser here: Alex Harrison is fundraising for Brain Tumour Research.