A schoolboy found out he had an inoperable brain tumour after a chance trip to the opticians. Jacob Coldman was shocked to discover there was an issue when he went for a routine eye test in August 2018.
The check-up had been booked for his younger brother but his mum decided to send Jacob along too - which proved a timely decision. After abnormalities in Jacob's vision were found, he was diagnosed with an optic pathway glioma (OPG).
And, in the following months, the youngster began to experience headaches and daily vomiting. Following two operations, he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour - and underwent eighteen months of chemotherapy.
Now, years later, brave Jacob, 15, is in Year 10 and preparing for his mock GCSEs - in spite of the challenges his tumour presents. Mum Elaine Coldman, 48, said: “We nearly got to a point where the treatment was so harsh that we wondering if it was worth it.
“Jacob lost a third of his body weight within the first cycle of chem and was vomiting every hour. Seeing our boy got through this experience has opened our eyes to the lack of treatment options that are available for anyone who receives this horrendous diagnosis, let alone a child.”
Jacob, from Winkleigh, Devon, attended an eye test which had originally been made for his younger brother in August 2018. But it revealed unusual results - and a loss of peripheral vision in Jacob’s left eye.
He was then referred to the opthalmology department at North Devon Hospital in Barnstaple. Following the appointment in August, Jacob experienced headaches and daily episodes of vomiting.
And it wasn’t until he was taken to North Devon Hospital A&E months later that an MRI scan revealed a mass on his brain. Following the diagnosis, Jacob underwent two operations amounting to more than 13 hours of surgery.
His tumour was tragically deemed inoperable due to the fear that removing the mass could cause him to go blind. To try and treat the tumour, he spent 18 months being treated with gruelling chemotherapy – and he has been left with a 10-pence sized port in his skull to help drain a build-up of pressure caused by the surgery.
Now, Jacob is in Year 10 and preparing for his mock GCSEs at Chulmleigh Community College in Chulmleigh – alongside going for six-monthly scans and quarterly eye tests, as well as endocrine appointments at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children to monitor his tumour.
However, the tumour has left him with a visual impairment and endocrine deficiencies and he is likely to need growth hormones until his mid-twenties – and potentially for the rest of his life.
“[His brother] had an eye test booked and my husband was taking him for a routine check-up - I said he may as well get Jacob’s eyes checked at the same time,” said Elaine.
“Originally, the optician thought Jacob was messing around when he said he couldn’t see from his left eye, but after further tests we were referred to ophthalmology at North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple.
“He had to have platelet transfusions as well as blood and fluid transfusions because the chemo was so toxic – this became a regular practice with each round he had. Although his last scan came back stable, you always live with ‘scanxiety’ between each appointment.”
Elaine has taken on the Brain Tumour Research ‘Jog 26.2 Miles in May Challenge’ to help raise money for further research into the condition. Mel Tiley, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Jacob’s story is a stark reminder of how indiscriminate brain tumours are, affecting anyone at any age.
"They kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.
"We’re determined to change this and are so grateful for the support of people like Elaine whose fundraising efforts enable us to continue funding vital research and to, ultimately, find a cure.”
You can donate to Elaine’s fundraiser by visiting this link
