A mum indulging in some retail therapy claims buying new sunglasses for her holiday saved her life - after opticians discovered a grape-sized brain tumour during an eye test. Ann Flinn went for a routine eye test in April ahead of her trip to Benidorm and decided to treat herself to a new pair of sunnies.
But during the test the Specsavers optometrist in Wigan detected swelling on her optic nerve and referred her to hospital for further tests. The 54-year-old was stunned when an MRI scan revealed what doctors suspected to be a meningioma - a non-cancerous tumour in the membranes that cover the brain.
The mum-of-two had surgery a week later (July 29) to remove the tumour and received the good news last month (August 10) that her tumour was benign. Given the admin officer 'felt fine' throughout the ordeal, she's now keen to raise awareness of the importance of not putting off routine eye tests.
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Photos show Ann donning her new shades while on her trip to Spain in June before her surgery to remove the tumour, which left her with a black eye and seven-inch scar across her scalp. Specsavers said that Ann's story highlights why routine eye test are so important.
Ann, of Haydock, Merseyside, said: "It came as a shock to me. I needed new sunglasses for my holiday to Benidorm and needed a test because I'd gone two years [since the last one].
