Dad forgets his daughter and own name after brain tumour was misdiagnosed as vertigo

Marcus Williams, 35, started suffering from terrible headaches, utmost tiredness, and seizures. But doctors repeatedly misdiagnosed his symptoms - which were really a ample encephalon tumour

A begetter mislaid each representation of his household and adjacent forgot his ain sanction owed to an assertive encephalon tumour, which was initially misdiagnosed arsenic vertigo. Marcus Williams, 35, began experiencing aggravated headaches, fatigue, and seizures but doctors repeatedly misdiagnosed his symptoms for vertigo.

The dad-of-one started to suffer his representation - and couldn't recognise his daughter, Lola, 5 - and his wife, Laura, 31, pushed to get a CT scan. It revealed a ample tumour and Marcus was rushed for exigency country to region 98% of the wide - aft being fixed hours to live.

Marcus was diagnosed with a glioblastoma but his representation has since returned and helium is nearing the extremity of six weeks of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Doctors initially diagnosed him with vertigo owed to his headaches and sickness.

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According to starring charity, Brain Tumour Research, headaches and sickness, communal symptoms of encephalon tumours, tin beryllium mistaken for different conditions similar vertigo. Laura, a self-employed quality therapist, from Yatton, Somerset, said: "I was shocked erstwhile the GP country texted maine saying determination was thing much they could do. Both they and doctors astatine A&E [emergency room] insisted Marcus had vertigo, but I knew it was thing acold worse.

"When his oculus abruptly went lazy, I feared helium was having a stroke. Even the paramedics downplayed his symptoms, suggesting his projectile vomiting could beryllium owed to a blocked receptor oregon adjacent intelligence wellness issues. I couldn’t recognize however truthful galore aesculapian professionals, radical we are meant to spot with our lives, were truthful dismissive and treated america similar timewasters.

"Marcus began losing his code and memory. He didn't adjacent recognise our small girl, the idiosyncratic helium cherishes most. I was astatine my wit's end. It wasn't until I confronted a doc astatine A&E and demanded a CT scan that they yet discovered the ample tumour. That was erstwhile I was told helium had lone hours to unrecorded and needed exigency surgery."

A neurosurgeon from Newquay, Cornwall, was flown successful and successfully removed 98% of the tumour successful a 12-hour operation, and Marcus remained successful intensive attraction for the pursuing 5 days. The household yet received a diagnosis pursuing the cognition and were devastated to larn that helium had a glioblastoma - an assertive and cancerous encephalon tumour.

Laura was told by aesculapian professionals that Marcus would acquisition representation loss, code difficulties, and different challenges, and the household brought successful photos and Marcus’ favourite snacks to assistance velocity up his recuperation.

For his daughter, Lola, things were particularly difficult. Laura said: "She kept repeating, ‘Why won’t daddy play with me?’ and ‘daddy’s got a poorly head’ but she conscionable couldn’t grasp what was happening. The full concern has been incredibly pugnacious connected her. When I had to permission her with my parents to enactment with Marcus successful the hospital, she was devastated.

"She didn’t cognize wherever I was oregon what was happening, and she didn’t recognize wherefore daddy wouldn’t beryllium with her either. Being retired of schoolhouse owed to half-term lone made things harder. It broke my bosom to spot however overmuch she was struggling. Marcus had ever been the amusive dad, playing pillow fights and doing gymnastics connected the level with her. After his surgery, helium could lone beryllium there, quiescent and exhausted, arsenic helium recovered."

Marcus is present showing steadfast signs of betterment aft undergoing six-weeks of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. He has further medicine to negociate his occasional seizure but remains bedbound for the clip being. Marcus and Lola inactive bask speechmaking and colouring together, and are inactive hoping for a instrumentality to gymnastics unneurotic soon.

Laura is taking portion successful Brain Tumour Research’s 10,000 Steps a Day successful February challenge, on with friends and family. Laura adds: “I was told I was hours distant from losing my hubby and, astatine each turn, aesculapian unit dismissed maine arsenic a timewaster. Only probe and a cure tin forestall others from going done what we did, and I won’t halt warring for that. That’s wherefore we’re taking connected the 10,000 Steps a Day challenge, followed by helping walks and skydives, each to rise wealth for this captious cause.

"If adjacent 1 lb helps find a cure oregon eases different family’s pain, it volition beryllium worthy it.

Ashley McWilliams, Community Development Manager astatine Brain Tumour Research, said: “Marcus, Laura, and Lola’s communicative is simply a almighty reminder of the devastating interaction encephalon tumours person connected families and the urgent request for amended diagnosis, treatment, and support. Their courageousness and determination to rise consciousness and funds volition marque a existent quality to the 12,000 radical diagnosed with a superior encephalon tumour each year.’’

To enactment Laura’s 10,000 Steps a Day successful February challenge, click here.