Air New Zealand captain’s dream career in limbo after brain cancer diagnosis

An Air New Zealand captain has been told he’ll never be able to fly again – cutting his dream career short – after leaving a sports injury check-up with a brain cancer diagnosis.

Christchurch father Scotty Beatson was diagnosed with grade 3 brain cancer in August 2025, which was picked up by a CT scan he had after a knock to the head during a football game.

“This is high-grade cancer and has the potential to become aggressive and life-threatening,” his fiancee Mia Waddington wrote on Facebook.

“Our lives have changed forever and the last year has been full of endless scans, appointments, research and an incredibly tough surgery.

“In between all of those are what people don’t see, the tears, the late nights fearing for what lies ahead, the uncertainty, and the what ifs.”

With Beatson now looking to specialist care and unfunded treatments, while facing a high-risk second surgery and the possibility of further procedures overseas, Waddington set up a Givealittle page last week to cover the climbing costs.

It raised more than $115,000 in its first 24 hours and had since climbed past $168,000.

Beatson told the Herald that with no prior symptoms, his diagnosis came out of the blue.

“The biggest thing personally in my journey is just how instantaneous it was,” he said.

“This type of cancer, and particularly the location of mine being near my motor cortex, has had so many flow-on effects in terms of day-to-day living for me.

“It immediately stripped my career away, it immediately stripped my ability to drive. And every time I have any sort of seizure activity, which I’m continuing to have a year on since the first operation, it resets the clock another year for my driving.”

Beatson had wanted to be a pilot since he was a young boy, but less than a year after Air New Zealand promoted him to captain, doctors told him he would not fly a plane again.

“There was a moment of absolute, utter shock,” Beatson said.

“It was like I was in a nightmare ... Having that torn away was just absolutely heartbreaking.”

When doctors shared the sobering news, Beatson remembered thinking about his family, career and future.

“It all went through my head so quickly that the fear and the overwhelming [feeling] just took over.”

Despite the diagnosis, Beatson said choosing to visit after-hours that day “was an absolute blessing, because I could have been sent home and been none the wiser”.

“Obviously, with my job, we have to be pretty careful with head knocks ... it’s pretty incredible that it was found like that.”

While initially told his tumour was low-grade, Beatson’s surgery in October included a biopsy that identified more aggressive cells and it was upgraded to grade 3.

Adding to the complexities, doctors were unable to remove the tumour in full because of its location.

Since then, the couple have been weighing their options and seeking second opinions on what to do next.

Beatson is on the waitlist to undergo a high-risk surgery in Christchurch, which could potentially compromise his left-side function or trigger paralysis.

He’ll likely undergo chemotherapy and radiation afterwards, before considering whether to explore further treatment.

Many promising treatment methods they’ve looked at are either unfunded or only available overseas, both carrying hefty price tags.

“One of the quotes that came back from UCLA was $311,000, plus any associated travel costs and possible extensions,” Beatson said.

“Another one we’ve looked at is some unfunded drugs or medications that are $52,000 a month, I believe, which is just horrendous.”

In creating the Givealittle, Waddington said she wanted more people to know about her partner’s journey, as “anyone who knows Scotty knows he would never ask for this help himself”.

With donations continuing to snowball, and messages of support flooding in from around the world, Beatson said the pair have been “absolutely overwhelmed” by the public’s response.

Beatson said his young family lived a simple and humble life. Having nearly lost his own father some years ago too, he’s always been one to appreciate living in the moment, which has come to prove helpful as he faces his own health battle.

“It’s essentially a ticking time bomb ... no one can plan, no one knows what’s going to change, if it’s going to change,” Beatson said.

“Given my age, and with our wee boy, if I can only focus on one thing for the rest of my life, it’s being here for him and for Mia.”

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