A 56-year-old woman who went to the optician for an eye test was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and was undergoing lifesaving surgery days later. Susan Hetherington was diagnosed with a meningioma tumour and was warned the growth could cost her her eyesight or even her life.
Susan is now campaigning with the charity Brain Tumour Research and calling on the Government and charities to spend more on research into the disease. According to the charity, brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just 1 per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease, reports BirminghamLive.
Mum of four Susan booked her eye test after noticing her symptoms and finding her glasses weren't helping, and was referred to hospital urgently. She said: “I had started to get flashing lights in my eyes and my reading glasses were no longer helping my eyesight. When the roads signs became blurry as I was driving I booked an eye test at my Specsavers in Chelmsley Wood where I live to check that my prescription hadn’t changed".
Once at the hospital, she remained in a state of shock, adding: “Three doctors entered the bay and told me they had found a mass on my brain – I was in disbelief. A nurse stayed with me. I couldn’t help but think about my four children and grandson – how was I going to tell them that their mum had a brain tumour?”
The neurosurgeon said there was a '10% chance she could die or have a stroke on the operating table'. Four days after her operation in November 2019, Susan was sent home to recover.
Susan and her two sons (Image: Brain Tumour Research)
She has since been left with extreme fatigue and is now monitored with regular scans to check for regrowth of the tumour, and has joined Brain Tumour Research as a campaigner to help raise awareness of the lack of funding into research of the disease. She says that 'more needs to be done to raise awareness of brain tumours, we need to understand how and why they happen.'
Susan praised Specsavers for catching her tumour before it was too late. "I want to shout my story from the rooftops as I feel that Specsavers saved my life, and I would encourage everyone to have a regular eye test".
Brain Tumour Research is the only national charity in the UK singularly focused on finding a cure for brain tumours through campaigning for an increase in the national investment into research to £35 million per year, while fundraising to create a sustainable network of brain tumour research centres in the UK. It is a powerful campaigning organisation and represents the voice of the brain tumour community across the UK.
Mel Tiley, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “ We’re sorry to hear about Susan’s diagnosis and are grateful to her for sharing her story. We’re delighted to have Susan join us as we campaign for better treatment options for people living with this disease as we work towards finding a cure.”
