A brain tumour patient has grown a foot taller since undergoing surgery to remove most of the growth.
Jamie Connolly always felt his 4ft1in height as a teenager was simply because he was a late developer - but when he suffered a seizure whilst playing a video game aged 16, he discovered the more sinister reason behind his shorter stature.
A slow-growing tumour had formed in Jamie's brain, stunting his development.
MRI scans on Jamie's brain revealed a mass, and he was taken in for surgery in 2004 - only to grow 18 inches in a matter of months.
Since then the 35-year-old from Rowley Regis, Black Country, has undergone three further rounds of gruelling surgery, and now stands at 5ft 7ins.
A small part of the tumour still remains in Jamie's brain today, Birmingham Live reports, but despite changing his vision leaving him needing glasses, it hasn't stopped him living a regular life.
Jamie, a mental health care assistant, said: "I was always little and even when at school I just put it down to being small for my age. I never imagined it was because of a brain tumour.
"I later found out the tumour was growing on a part of my brain responsible for important functions, including development and growth.
"Despite multiple surgeries to remove the slow-growing tumour, it has left me with changes in my vision and as a result, I have to wear glasses.
"Part of the tumour is still there as removing it all could have left me with paralysis."
Jamie currently visits hospital for regular scans to monitor the remaining tumour in his brain, and has been diagnosed as having a low-grade astrocytoma.
He's currently sharing his story as March marks Brain Tumour Awareness Month.
I didn’t know a thing about the disease until I was diagnosed.
"I feel fortunate that my tumour is low-grade and for as long as I can, I will help fly the flag and raise awareness of the disease."
Dr Karen Noble at Brain Tumour Research said: "The effects of a brain tumour can often defy belief, with personality changes, selective memory loss or adults having growth spurts.
"Brain tumours near the pituitary gland can cause extreme changes to physical size, or delays to puberty.
"This is due to the tumour affecting the levels of hormones the gland produces."
