A dad-of-two whose headaches turned out to be brain cancer could have just 12 months left to live.
Mark Hampson first fell unwell while watching a boxing match in February last year. The 49-year-old had suffered a bad headache for several days and began struggling to talk.
His 21-year-old son Jake persuaded him to go to Wythenshawe Hospital as his family knew something “wasn’t right”. Following a scan, Mark was given some earth-shattering news – he had cancer and it was terminal.
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Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, his wife of 22 years, Tina, became emotional as she said: “I feel like someone has smashed our lives into millions of pieces. I wouldn’t want anyone else to ever go through what we have been through.
“You’re living day by day because you don’t know what the day is going to bring or what is going to happen. If it weren’t for my son, I don’t think he would be here today.
“He got taken into a room and the doctor closed the curtain. They told him they think he has cancer in the brain because something showed up on the scan. From there, it’s as if the whole world came crashing down.”
Mark, of Wythenshawe, had been suffering headaches for several days but believed they were a result of Bell's palsy, a condition which causes facial muscle weakness. Doctors previously told Mark the headaches were caused by a poor diet, Tina claims. Sadly, his cancer is now at stage four.
Mark, who previously worked as a driver for Manchester Airport and lives in Wythenshawe, has had surgery to remove the tumour but cancerous cells still remain. Tragically, doctors have predicted he only has 12 months left to live.
“There’s no way Mark is going to live,” Tina, 43, continued. “If I had one wish, I would wish for him to be better. He’s the love of my life. I was never in love until I met him. If he didn’t have chemotherapy, he would have had three months. My son saved my husband’s life.
“He has been through surgery to remove the cancer but cannot all be removed. He starts his radiotherapy over the next few weeks and he has only been given 12 months time to live. We want to make the most of it.
“His headaches were going on or days and this is why I want people to know to never ignore the headaches. Always get your headaches checked when you have them for a day or two, maybe more. Get them checked.”
Tina has since set up a GoFundMe appeal so the family can create memories with what time Mark has left.
“We’re trying to raise enough money to renew our wedding vows and have a family holiday together and spend time with his sons,” she added. “We don’t go out because we don’t have the money – we're struggling like everyone else is struggling with the cost of living. I struggle every day to put a meal on the table for the kids.
“We can’t afford to go away. We never had a honeymoon, we’ve never been away. It’s always been the bills. We’ve been together 22 years now so I want to make memories with him.”
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