A woman whose mum died from an aggressive brain tumour is devastated after her dad has been diagnosed with the same illness. Julie Green's mum, Diane, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in 2005 after she'd struggled with migraines for months.
Tragically, Diane, who was only 55, slipped into a deep coma and died in January 2006. Having seen his wife pass away, John Green was diagnosed with two brain tumours 15 years later. The 69-year-old was also diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, CheshireLive reports.
Julie, from Runcorn, says she was 'shocked' when she found out about her mum's diagnosis. The 47-year-old said: "Mum had been back and forth to the doctor with headaches for about a year, but hadn’t got any closer to finding out the cause. Then, one day in March 2005, we had to call an ambulance because she was going in and out of consciousness.
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She added: "Paramedics took her to Halton General Hospital, where they did a CT scan and found a brain tumour. It was such a shock. She was such a lively, bubbly person.
"We never expected something like that would happen to her. They sent her for an MRI scan, which revealed the tumour was deep inside her brain, limiting her treatment options."
Diane, who worked as a cleaner in Runcorn, was transferred to The Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Liverpool. Surgeons operated but were unable to remove all of the tumour, due to its location on the brain.
Julie said: “From the day we found out about Mum’s tumour to the day she passed away, she wasn’t the same again. She went downhill quickly, losing her sight and becoming paralysed down one side.
"In the end, she was bed bound and we relied heavily on help from the Macmillan nurses. My dad coped as best as he could but it wasn’t easy for him."
"Mum was just 55 when she died. Her illness had a profound impact on all the family, as we had to provide round-the-clock care for her and quickly come to terms with her stark prognosis. I soon learned how awful this disease is and the fact that there is a severe lack of funding into this area of cancer research."
John’s shock diagnosis came after he had a fall at home, resulting in a trip to hospital, where scans detected the stage four cancer. Julie said: "Dad was as fit as a fiddle before his diagnosis, so it was really difficult to comprehend.
"He used to work as a fitter’s mate at Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) in Runcorn. After his retirement, he stayed active, walking his springer spaniel every day.
"Unlike Mum, he’d had no symptoms whatsoever. Dad has taken it all in his stride but I wonder if he’s just putting on a brave face sometimes. He’s having chemotherapy, which makes him really poorly, but he’s persevering for now. They can’t operate on the brain tumours, as they’re at the top of the spine. He’s now receiving palliative care but he remains very proud and independent, preferring not to have carers in to help him.”
Julie uses a wheelchair, due to having the painful bone infection osteomyelitis, which resulted in her having her leg amputated in May 2020. In spite of her disability, she has been fundraising for Brain Tumour Research in Runcorn town centre, as part of the charity’s Wear A Hat Day . To donate to Julie’s fundraiser for Brain Tumour Research, please visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Julie-Green55
She said: "I'm unemployed, due to my disability, but I make a donation to brain tumour charities every year. When I saw Wear A Hat Day advertised on Facebook, I decided to get involved, along with our 15-month-old cocker spaniel, Coco.
"On Saturday (March 26), I travelled the two miles from my home into town in my wheelchair to collect donations and talk to people about my reasons for supporting the cause. I’m proud to have raised more than £300 for the charity so far."
Now in its 13th year, Wear A Hat Day has raised more than £2 million for Brain Tumour Research to help fund the fight against the disease. It is one of the UK’s biggest and best-loved brain tumour research awareness and fundraising days.
Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Less than 12 per cent of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50 per cent across all cancers and those who do can be left with a wide-range of disabilities.
"We are so sorry to hear that Julie’s family has been impacted twice by this terrible disease. We will continue to fund vital research to improve treatment options for brain tumour patients and, ultimately, find a cure. We’re very grateful for Julie’s support and wish her the best of luck for her ongoing fundraising."
Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet historically just 1 per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease. Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK.
To donate to Julie’s fundraiser for Brain Tumour Research, please visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Julie-Green55
