A beloved husband and dad of four from County Durham tragically died from a brain tumour at the age of just 36 with his loving wife by his side. Jonathan Wilkinson died from a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) brain tumour in March as his wife Rebecca, 27, sat with him.
Rebecca, from Darlington, first realised something was wrong in December 2015 when "fit and healthy" Jonathan was having dizzy spells and auras but doctors believed he had a panic attack. However, after suffering from a seizure, he went back to the doctors where a CT scan revealed he had a mass on his brain.
In February 2016, Jonathan underwent an operation to remove the tumour but sadly the tumour grew back in 2019 and then again in 2021. Sadly, despite going through treatment and two more operations during that time, Jonathan peacefully passed away on March 6, leaving Rebecca and their children James, three, Alice, nine, Liam, 15, and Rhys, 18 devastated.
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Now Rebecca along with Jonathan's best friend Jamie Langburn, 38, is taking on the Great North Run in Newcastle to raise money for the Brain Tumour Research charity in his memory. Explaining how Jonathan went to the doctors with dizzy spells in 2015, Rebecca said: "Jonathan went to Darlington Memorial Hospital, but the doctor said that he’d had a panic attack.
"At a follow-up appointment with our GP, Jonathan was told that he had anxiety and was given beta blockers, but we knew it wasn’t that as he was the most laid-back person in the world."
Rebecca became really concerned on December 30, when Jonathan drove with the couple’s son Liam to her sister, Katherine Hooton's house. She said: "When they arrived, Jonathan wasn’t feeling well and was dizzy. Katharine called me, saying he looked dazed and confused.
"Liam said that it looked as if Jonathan had had an electric shock, which is when we realised he’d had a grand mal seizure. Without Liam's information, we might not have got a diagnosis that night, as a seizure was the last thing they believed was wrong with him."
The next day on December 31, Jonathan had a CT scan which revealed he had a mass on his brain. Rebecca said: "I couldn’t believe it. Jonathan was so fit and healthy, he was a big strong bloke. I just thought he was going to die. It was such a stressful and anxious time."
In February 2016, Jonathan underwent an operation to remove the tumour, an astrocytoma, at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. Rebecca said: "He made a good recovery, and he was walking laps of the park after two weeks. We went on holiday to Ibiza together, he went back to being Jonathan again. We even had our fourth child, James, in October 2018."
In January 2019, a routine scan showed Jonathan’s tumour had grown, and he would need to have a second operation. In March, five days before the procedure was due to take place, Rebecca was diagnosed with stage three melanoma.
She said: "I was still coming to terms with my diagnosis when Jonathan had his operation. The surgeons managed to remove most of the tumour, but they told us that it had progressed to a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).
"Jonathan was so positive, and we didn’t want to know a timeframe, although research told me, at best, he had 15 months to live. He endured aggressive radiotherapy and five cycles of chemotherapy but found out the tumour was tolerant of the chemotherapy.
"I was having operations for my melanoma, and I was going through a year-long course of immunotherapy. Baby James and the rest of our children got us through the difficult days."
In January 2020, Jonathan began a new course of chemotherapy, which resulted in the tumour shrinking. In late November 2020, he returned to his job as a credit risk manager, working full-time from home, right up until last year.
Rebecca, an artist, said: "He started going back to the gym and our lives began to get back to normal again. We enjoyed holidays, nights out with friends, and cherished moments with our children. But in June 2021, he came home from the gym and his mouth was lowered, and he was slurring his words."
An MRI scan revealed the tumour had grown again. He was told that he would have his final operation in November. On February 12, 2022, Rebecca and Jonathan celebrated their 14-year anniversary.
Rebecca said: "That was our last time out together because a few days after, Jonathan started to decline very quickly. He couldn’t walk and he was vomiting."
Rebecca looked after Jonathan at home, with the help of family, friends, and Macmillan nurses. Jonathan suffered extreme fatigue, severe headaches, vomiting, and he lost the use of his legs. On March 6, 2022, Jonathan died peacefully, with Rebecca by his side.
Jonathan’s family and friends raised £2,500 at his funeral for Brain Tumour Research. Now, Rebecca will take part in the Great North Run in Newcastle on September 11 to raise more money for vital research. She will be joined by Jamie, who has known Jonathan since the pair were toddlers.
Jamie said: "When Jonathan was first diagnosed, I was in shock but I also felt great sadness for both him and his family. He was such a big strong strapping lad and it made me realise that none of us are invincible. I never really came to terms with just how serious his diagnosis was and I clung on to the hope that one day he would be free of this horrible disease but sadly that was not the case.
"It’s so important for me to do the great north run with Rebecca because the last time I did, it was with Jonathan and Rebecca, so this run has sentimental value to it too.
"Seeing the great care and things that Brain Tumour Research provides has made me determined to raise more funds so that hopefully one day the same diagnosis is not the end of the road, and we can find a cure for this disease before it takes anyone else before their time."
Rebecca said: "Jonno and I ran it back in 2016, after his first surgery. I really wanted to do something positive in his memory and thought this would be a good idea.
"I’m delighted that Jamie is doing the run with me. He has consistently supported the whole family from day one, along with his very close group of friends. It’s a devastating disease and I don’t want others to go through what we’ve been through."
Matthew Price, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: "We’re really grateful to Rebecca and Jamie for taking on this challenge, as it’s only with the support of people like them that we’re able to progress our research into brain tumours and improve the outcome for patients like Jonathan who are forced to fight this awful disease.
"Brain tumours are indiscriminate. They can affect anyone at any time. Too little is known about the causes and that is why increased investment in research is vital."
Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and the larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure.
The charity is calling for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia and is also campaigning for greater repurposing of drugs.
To donate to Rebecca’s fundraising page, you can do so by visiting the page here.
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