Who is the BBC's Glenn Campbell? Scottish journalist shares reality of living with brain tumour

A BBC writer has opened up astir the realities of surviving with a encephalon tumour.

In a caller documentary airing connected Wednesday, Glenn Campbell shares his travel implicit the past year, which includes rounds of gruelling treatment, raising wealth for charitable causes, and adjacent undergoing encephalon surgery.

The film, titled My Brain Tumour and Me, airs connected BBC One Scotland connected Wednesday astatine 7pm and volition beryllium disposable to watercourse connected BBC iPlayer afterwards.

But what bash we cognize astir Campbell and his condition?

The 48-year-old has worked for BBC Scotland since 2001, erstwhile helium joined the broadcaster’s vigor station.

Over the years, helium moved into television, often covering governmental quality (including galore elections and Scottish independency debates), earlier yet being appointed BBC Scotland’s governmental exertion successful 2021.

The find of Campbell’s encephalon tumour came aft helium fell disconnected a motorcycle successful 2023. Left with 10 breached ribs and a chopped and bruised face, the writer was treated successful infirmary but, soon aft leaving, suffered a seizure.

Upon returning to hospital, helium was diagnosed with an oligodendroglioma encephalon tumour by doctors. According to Brain Tumour Research, the sanction refers to a “rare, slow-growing” tumour which is simply a signifier of glial cell.

This benignant of encephalon tumour forms erstwhile mean stem cells make into glial cells (cells that clasp nervus cells successful place) and a tumour grows.

In an nonfiction for the BBC, Campbell says: “After 15 months, I’m inactive going beardown due to the fact that it turns retired I person a uncommon signifier of the disease, an oligodendroglioma, that tends to respond amended to treatment.

“The superb encephalon surgeon Paul Brennan saved my beingness by chopping retired astir of my tumour and, with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, it seems to beryllium keeping my crab successful cheque for now.

“There person been a mates of mendacious alarms but the astir caller cheque suggests my tumour is stable. I person nary thought however agelong that volition last,” helium said.

Oligodendroglioma tumours tin beryllium fatal, however, they mostly person higher endurance rates than different forms of encephalon cancer.

As his documentary shows, Campbell hasn’t fto his encephalon tumour halt him from surviving his life. “The specialists are wide – they don’t privation maine to halt doing things,” helium said. “They privation to alteration maine to unrecorded arsenic usually arsenic possible.”

As good arsenic spending clip with his household and friends, Campbell’s betterment has allowed him to marque a “gradual return” to enactment for the BBC.

Although helium unsuccessfully attempted to ascent a upland successful Scotland, suffering a seizure 10 minutes into the hike that called for attraction by exigency services, Campbell has inactive kept busy.

He has acceptable up a fundraising community, Brain Power, to assistance found a brain tumour research centre successful Scotland. “I deliberation well-resourced subject tin bash a batch better. If not for me, for those who travel after,” helium said.