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Listen: Simon Barnett reveals wife Jodi has a brain tumour, as he struggles to hold back the tears on air - 'I get so scared'

May 24, 2018

Simon Barnett has given an emotional update on his wife Jodi's upcoming radiation and chemotherapy following "successful" surgery to remove a lesion on her brain.

The radio host spoke candidly in a call to his colleagues on More FM this morning, touching on the overwhelming fear that has gripped him since Jodi suffered a seizure on April 29 he described as "beyond horrible".

"Nighttime it's really funny, but night-time's really scary, and it sounds funny, I'm a 51-year-old grown man but I have to leave the lights on at night because I just get so scared, because your mind just races," Simon said. 

Simon also revealed that the two lesions removed in surgery were malignant, which was "really confronting" to hear. 

Jodi will start radiation therapy in two weeks, which will last every day for six weeks, followed by chemotherapy for six months.

Simon however said the radiation oncologist was "very hopefull", and informed them if they had refused post-surgery treatment, he would have "insisted you have it". 

"He thinks they can radiate this remaining lesion, and the option is available for Jodi to have surgery again, it's operable this rare lesion.

"But obviously very scary times and we didn't want to know about the prognosis or anything like that."

Revealing the personal impact his wife's illness had had on him, Simon said his concerns have narrowed since the life-changing news.

"Everybody says it but nothing seems to matter when you're confronted with life and death but I can tell you now from first hand experience not a care in the world, not a house in the world, not any single material possession that you care to name matters one single jot when you face losing someone," Simon said.

"There's that verse in the Bible when you get married two becomes one, and I said to Jodi the other day, we were lying in bed 'the funny thing is hun, you are me, I feel everything, we just are one', and that makes it obviously wonderful, but also at times like this pretty scary."

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