In Hope

Social media account executive Charlie Sharpe, from Central London, is celebrating being cancer free following a shock brain tumour diagnosis in 2019. The 25-year-old, who grew up in Epsom, Surrey, was diagnosed with a type of germ cell tumour (GCT) called a germinoma after a Specsavers optician referred him for an MRI scan, which detected his tumour. Charlie underwent proton beam therapy, which was successful and he has now been given the all-clear, although continues to be monitored with annual scans. He is back at work part-time and has galvanised his colleagues to join him in supporting Brain Tumour Research to help support others affected by the disease. 

Since her diagnosis with a grade two oligodendroglioma, mum-of-two Charlotte Giddings has undergone three brain tumour operations and had part of her skull removed. She has had long periods when she was unable to drive and the business she ran with her husband has closed down. Despite this, she considers herself fortunate. 

“In many ways I am lucky, my tumour is low-grade. I don’t want to sit around worrying about how long I’ve got left. We know that if the tumour does come back my only treatment options would be chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It seems ridiculous that brain tumours affect so many people yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.”

When Charlotte Hughes, from York, started suffering from leg cramps and numbness in 2015, she never expected her symptoms would be related to brain cancer. Nearly a year after her symptoms began, Charlotte, a 43-year-old recruitment consultant, was diagnosed with two gliomas on the motor strip in her brain. Charlotte has since undergone three brain surgeries, the most recent being an awake craniotomy, during which she watched the Netflix period drama, Bridgerton, on her iPad! Charlotte is extremely grateful to the surgeon, oncologist and nurses who have helped her through her illness so far and she remains positive about the future.   

After experiencing months of crippling migraines, sickness and balance issues sports-mad Chris was diagnosed with a brain tumour at just 15 years old as he was due to sit his mock GCSEs. Now 25 years on, Chris looks back and counts himself lucky that his tumour was low-grade and able to be removed by surgery, as many others are not so fortunate.

“When I was told I had a brain tumour and that it was the cause of all my symptoms that year, I was actually quite surprised, though my parents were obviously very upset. My initial thought was could I still play football and when could I leave to go see my friends. We were told that it was low-grade tumour, about the size of a golf ball and I would need surgery to remove it. There was and still is very little known about brain tumours and what causes them, so when the consultant said they were confident that they could get it all out, this news didn’t stop my parents from worrying about me.”

Chris Brown, of Chesham in Buckinghamshire, was diagnosed with a mixed germ cell tumour (GCT) in May 2012 after an optician discovered that he had double vision and referred him for tests. He underwent a successful craniotomy but a subsequent scan revealed he had a second tumour, a pineal germinoma. The 37-year-old, whose journey was captured in the BBC Two documentary Brain Doctors, then underwent a biopsy followed by radiotherapy and Gamma Knife surgery. Now married and with a four-year-old daughter, his tumour remains stable but causes him extreme fatigue.

Christine was in her fifties when she began to experience strange symptoms. She put these down to the menopause and stress at work but one night, when she was woken up by paramedics, she found herself at the start of a long and life-changing journey. She was diagnosed with a meningioma and underwent a seven-hour operation. Many ups and downs later, Christine is grateful to be alive, determined to live her life in the moment and not worry too much about the future.                                                           

“My experience taught me that you never know what’s around the corner. Within one day, my life turned upside down. I feel grateful that my tumour was low-grade, but I realise it still could have killed me. I don’t like planning ahead anymore because life can be so unpredictable. For now, I want to enjoy time with my family and live in the moment.”

Cindy, a 60-year-old grandmother thought that she was going through the menopause when she began to struggle with her balance in 2013. After numerous trips to the doctor, Cindy found out she had been living with a low-grade meningioma, that had been growing steadily over the last five years.                                         

Claire Bullimore’s brain tumour journey began in 2006, when, after several years of experiencing frequent headaches, she started suffering from debilitating migraines and blurred vision. Two years later, aged just 25, she was diagnosed with an intraventricular meningioma. Since then she has undergone brain surgery and had to give up her driving licence and her career. Claire, who is from South London, now lives with disabilities and a crippling anxiety disorder. Her story, however, is one of hope and positivity, as her life-changing diagnosis inspired her to create an online support network for other patients and survivors; a place for people to share stories and help raise awareness of brain tumours.