AN RAF corporal diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour wants to see more money placed into research.

James Campling, based at RAF Brize Norton near Carterton, had his world turned upside down when he was given a terminal diagnosis over the phone while travelling through Finland in June last year.

Now, the 28-year-old, who serves as a specialist with the Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, is working with Brain Tumour Research to raise awareness of the devastating condition.

Corp Campling, originally from Grimsby, first knew something was wrong in December 2015 when an episode rendered him unable to speak or move for about five minutes. The effects have grown more severe over time and he has suffered several seizures.

The effects led him to undergo an MRI scan at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital, after which he went to Finland, with plans to travel across the country and meet a friend for a hiking trip in Norway. He received the chilling diagnosis while on the phone to his GP during a train journey.

He said: “The only way to get me to return home was to tell me how serious it was, so she told me over the phone that I had a brain tumour.

“I got off the train and realised I was on a single track in the middle of a forest. I felt absolutely awful and I felt angry.”

Corp Campling had to inform his family, and make arrangements to get back to the UK.

When home and back in Brize, plans were put in place for a craniotomy. During the operation, surgeons cut into his scalp and opened his skull to work on the brain. He was awake the whole time.

But despite the operation going well, Corp Campling still has a very short life expectancy.

He said: “The median life expectancy is 14 months and I’ve already had six of them. But because I have a mutation that can be 28 months.

“There’s a 10 per cent chance of getting just five years. 20 years is the world record, which is quite depressing. Even if I broke the world record and made it to 49 it’s not exactly the time I was planning to expire.”

Corp Campling underwent radiotherapy and is still having sessions of chemotherapy.

In the time he has left, he has been campaigning for the Brain Tumour Research to highlight inequalities in cancer research funding.

Along with his father, Gareth, he went to Westminster in December to attend a meeting of the All-Parliamentary Group on brain tumours.

Corp Campling said: “As someone who will have their life cut short by a brain tumour, I will do my best to highlight the dreadful underfunding of this neglected cancer.

“It was great to see that all the MPs agreed that brain tumour research was important. I hope that they can now agree to do something about it.”

He also raised £5,000 for the charity by completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in October.