The dad of a women who lost her mum to a brain tumour has now contracted 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.
She slipped into a coma and died at Warrington Hospital in January 2006, Cheshire Live reported.
Having lost his beloved wife to the disease, John Green was diagnosed with two brain tumours in July 2021.
The 69-year-old was also told he had stage four lung cancer.
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, of Runcorn, 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, 47, has been left to grieve her mum's death while helping her dad through his illness.
She 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.
"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."
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.
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.
To view to Julie’s fundraiser for Brain Tumour Research, click here.
