Ryan’s friends and family are “heartbroken”
15:35, 11 Jul 2025Updated 16:49, 11 Jul 2025
Ryan Bower and his fiancée Beci Jade(Image: Supplied)
A man who had “no signs” of illness has been given just two years to live. Ryan Bower, 29, from Ellesmere Port, was living life as normal before he had a seizure for the first time on May 10.
After having CT and MRI scans, it was discovered that Ryan had a stage four cancerous brain tumour. According to the Brain Tumour Charity, a brain tumour might cause a seizure or epilepsy. Up to two in three people diagnosed with a brain tumour will experience epilepsy or at least one brain tumour seizure. Since his diagnosis, Ryan has started radiation and chemotherapy treatments. The news has come as a massive shock for Ryan’s friends and family, who are trying to support him now he is not allowed to work.
Ryan had been planning to propose to his partner Beci Jade, but brought forward his plans and proposed to her after receiving his diagnosis. His stag do has been quickly arranged for this weekend.
Speaking to the ECHO about what Ryan is like, his friend Jay Bakewell, 30, said: “He’s a very funny, vibrant, positive guy. We used to always go out back in the day to the skate park.
“We used to ride bikes together when we were younger as well. We’ve had a good time partying. Now I see him a lot on the golf course.”
Ryan’s mum Julie Rimmer, 47, from Ellesmere Port is still coming to terms with what has happened. Julie said: “He’s a funny, positive, hard-working man. No-one can believe it. We’re heartbroken and in shock. There were no signs. He wasn’t poorly in any way. He had all this in his head and there were no signs.”
Jay added: “Just randomly, he had the first seizure he’s ever had. He went to hospital and they said he had a tumour on his brain.
“A week later he called me and told me that the tumour was incurable. A week after that, he told me it was cancer. A few days later, he was told he’d been given two years to live.
“It’s very unexpected because he was fully healthy. You’d look at him now and you’d think he would be perfectly fine.”
Despite this devastating news, Ryan is still trying to live as normally as possible. Jay said: “He’s vibrant and positive now. He just keeps saying, it is what it is.
“Beci is wonderful. She’s amazing and is staying by his side right until the end. They’re still getting married and they’re still trying to have a child.
After having CT and MRI scans, it was discovered that Ryan had a stage four cancerous brain tumour(Image: Supplied)
“The wedding has now been booked – that’s why we’re having a very quick stag do for him on Saturday. We’re going to go out for a meal in Liverpool and then will go back to his brothers and play Xbox or whatever because he can’t drink. He’s on treatment every day now.”
Julie added: “He’s remaining positive. He already had a ring for Beci and was going to propose to her. After this happened, he decided to bring his plans forward and they’ll be getting married in Wales. He’s still living his life out.“
Ryan found out he was ineligible for benefits due to the combined income of him and Beci, so Jay started a fundraising campaign for him.
Jay has helped organise a huge event for Ryan on Saturday, July 27 at Whitby Social Club from 1pm. There will be a charity football match, a raffle, a live DJ set and people shaving their heads.
Jay said: “When he told me about the benefits, I said, I know you don’t want any money but we are going to make you a donation page.
“If you’re not working and you’ve only got two years left to live, the least you can do is enjoy yourself and not have to scrounge and borrow money to eat and stuff like that. Theo Harrison made the page for us.
“I’m just trying to take every stress off Ryan so that all he has to do is show up to your appointments. Beci’s done so much, but it’s becoming too much for her now as well.
“We want as many eyes on this, so as many people can come to the day or buy charity tickets, buy raffle tickets, or even donate a prize for the raffle, it’d be amazing.”
Tickets for the fundraising event will be £5 on the door. Raffle tickets will cost £5 a strip or you can buy three strips for £10. You can find out more about the GoFundMe page here.