A nurse from Liverpool found out she had a brain tumour after searching her symptoms on Google. 22-year-old Liverpool FC fan began suffering from headaches and was told by her GP in April that was most likely due to stress and anxiety.
They continued to occur and worsened alongside symptoms of dizziness and Bridie, who is a final year nursing student from Bradford, began to experience uncharacteristic clumsiness.
She told the Liverpool Echo: "On Saturday the 17th of September, I woke up with my partner Harry, and I sat up and the room was spinning around me. I stood up and I had to sit back down on the floor as the room was spinning around me.
"I was very reluctant to go to hospital because I wanted to have a good weekend. I had worked the whole week. So I went to hospital and they dealt with me very quickly.
"We still had plans to go home and have tea. I knew something was not quite right and a doctor was looking quite funny at me, and I knew from working in healthcare that it’s never a good look."
After Googling her symptoms a couple of weeks before, Bridie said: "I’d searched on Google two weeks before I’d had the severe headache. I’d told my mum and Harry that it said I had a brain tumour and they said ‘don't be silly it’s just stress’, and little did I know that I was actually right at that time.”
An official brain tumour diagnoses came on the 17th September, but Bridie was made to wait until the 22nd for her operation due to the Queen's funeral. After a four day wait, she was transferred to LGI where she would have an 11 hour operation to remove the tumour on her brain.
Luckily, the operation proved successful and left behind only 2mm of tumour and the tumour bed behind. "There were so many risks associated with it," Bridie said.
"And you always think 'am I going to come round from it', but I was very lucky and it was a successful operation."
After the operation, occupational and physiotherapy helped her walk again, and within 11 days she was ready to come home and start her recovery. Bridie said: "I was over the moon to be home where I could continue my recovery.
"A lumbar puncture showed that there is no evidence of cancer in my cerebrospinal fluid or spine meaning I’m eligible for proton beam radiotherapy.
"A date has been set for the 1st of November, we’re just waiting on a few other treatments before I start my radiotherapy, it is a curative treatment so I am hoping that I am lucky that I get to live my life and grow old."
Bridie and her boyfriend, Harry Louch, will be braving the shave on October 28 by shaving their hair off for Macmillan Cancer Support, before she begins her treatment.
Bridie said: "This is a charity close to my heart. The work and support these people do and offer is simply amazing and is a light throughout this dark journey.
"Since I found out I’d lose my hair, I knew I wanted to do it for charity. I didn’t want it to be because of cancer. I was quite adamant about that.
"I wanted it to be on my terms and I wanted it to be turned into something positive. And now, instead of it being because of cancer it’s for cancer and it can’t take it away from me."
Bridie expressed her gratitude to both Harry and her parents for the support they have given her through this tough period of her life and said: "It really is amazing, I couldn’t thank them enough for just always being there.
"It makes it just that little bit easier, you don't feel as alone.”
Bridie wants to raise awareness for cancer and urges people to speak with their doctors and seek help if they are not feeling right.
You can visit or donate to Bridie's fundraiser by visiting the GoFundMe page.
