A MAN battling a brain tumour and told he had just six months to live has defied dire predictions to live for an astonishing six years.

Jay Lynchehaun was just 25 when he received the devastating diagnosis of an 'aggressive and incurable' brain tumour.

Given months to live, he has beaten all the odds to live for as long as he has, which a neurosurgeon said only a 'small number' of patients manage.

Mum Sharon Hacking, 54, who lives in Great Harwood, said the secret to Jay's survival had been to 'stay positive'.

She said: "He has just always wanted to make the most of life and not let the brain tumour get him down.

"So Jay has focused on staying positive and keeping his mental health well.

"He has so much to live for and just tries to enjoy life to the full.

"He is doing really other than the occasional seizure he has."

But not only is Jay, now 31, from Clitheroe, still going strong more than six years on, he is also married and has an adorable son.

While still on three-monthly scans, Jay is a husband to Becky and father to Teddy, born in January 2017.

He has a job he enjoys, working part-time as a graphic designer and has even been inspired to set up the charity 'Inbetweenears' to support adults with brain tumours between the ages of 18 and 40.

His mum now wants to raise funds for scientists working to find a cure for brain tumours.

On March 29 it will be Brain Tumour Research’s annual 'Wear A Hat Day', where people grab their favourite hat and raise funds for cancer research.

Sharon added: “It would be fantastic if as many people as possible could hold Wear A Hat Day events of their own or make a donation to support research – Inbetweenears is funding a researcher at UCLAN within Preston University."

Greg Hall, consultant neurosurgeon at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “A small number of patients with highly aggressive brain tumours are able to survive several years after diagnosis.

"Our use of state-of-the-art surgical techniques such as intraoperative ultrasound and fluorescence-guided surgery in combination with patient-tailored radiotherapy and chemotherapy is leading to longer survival in many patients.”