31-year-old weightlifter told he has just 5 years to live after brushing off 'common' symptoms

A weightlifter was given only years to live after he ignored these symptoms that could have pointed to his health woes earlier.

A British weightlifter ended up in a coma as doctors discovered a serious health concern.

31-year-old Scott Hinch was told that he may only have 3 to 5 years to live and this news rightly floored him.

Doctors only made the discovery after he was brought to the Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny, Wales, after suffering a seizure on his way to work back in August 2019.

Hinch has since said that he wishes he had paid closer attention to the symptoms and hadn’t brushed them off.

Hinch lived an active and healthy lifestyle before his diagnosis(SWNS)

While at the hospital, he was put in an induced four-day coma and, after waking up, an MRI revealed a grade 2 astrocytoma, a type of tumor that usually develops in the brain or spinal cord.

On September 4 of that year, Scott underwent emergency surgery to partially remove the tumor and started his first round of treatment to keep the cancer at bay. This entailed seven weeks of radiotherapy and 12 cycles of chemotherapy.

Prior to his cancer diagnosis, Hinch lived a healthy and active lifestyle and suffered no significant health issues.

He did note that he occasionally did experience headaches and nosebleeds but thought it was down to over working, working out and not drinking enough water.

He said: “Looking back, I now realize there were signs. Headaches, nosebleeds, things I chalked up to long work hours.

“Maybe heavy training at the gym and not drinking enough water. I even went to the opticians, but nothing was picked up.”

While it is over 5 years on from his initial diagnosis, Hinch still suffers to this day due to his cancer returning two years later after the end of his treatment at the end of 2023.

Following this, he underwent more chemotherapy and treatment, and in 2025, is undergoing his third round of treatment for his tumor.

Hinch has had multiple rounds of treatment as his cancer came back(SWNS)

He added: “I take it one month at a time.

"The fatigue is relentless and most days I can't leave the house.

"But I'm still here, and that's something I'm grateful for."

His mum, Fiona, has become his full-time carer and he is now 'dependent on her' for everything.

Fiona has also spoken on the need for greater research and awareness regarding brain tumors and has emphasized the difficulty of seeing her son go through treatment.

She said: “Watching my son go through the trauma of surgery and three rounds of treatment for brain cancer has been heartbreaking.

"No family should have to experience the fear, uncertainty and pain that we have.

“We need better outcomes, kinder treatments, and ultimately a cure.”

To help raise awareness, his mum, Fiona and auntie, Lyndsey, are taking on the 200k in May Your Way challenge to raise money for the Brain Tumour Research Charity.