Woman thought she had exotic disease from travels - but it was brain tumour

Bella mislaid her sister, Carmen, to the aforesaid illness much than 20 years agone - and present she fights it herself

A well-travelled concern banker thought she'd contracted an exotic infectious illness but discovered it was really a encephalon tumour.

Bella Depreli had her extended 30th day celebrations scuppered aft being diagnosed with a encephalon tumour 4 months later. She had a twelvemonth of amusive activities lined up to people her milestone day - including a travel to India, a spa interruption plans, and celebrating her friends birthdays.

She started the twelvemonth successful Costa Rica earlier going to Mighty Hoopla festival, successful Brockwell Park, London, with friends to observe turning 30 connected June 30. But aft returning location to London she had a seizure out-of-the-blue successful August portion astatine a buying centre.

She was rushed to St Thomas Hospital, Lambeth, wherever doctors initially thought Bella was suffering with neurocysticercosis - an infectious illness often contracted successful exotic countries. But a scan revealed a wide connected her encephalon - which led to her being diagnosed with encephalon cancer.

Just weeks later, Bella had an cognition to region the 1.2cm tumour. It isn't the archetypal clip her household has been impacted by illness aft Bella mislaid her large sister, Carmen, 10, to crab successful 2003.

Bella is present undergoing six weeks of aggravated radiotherapy and chemotherapy attraction - and refuses to fto her tumour derail her plans and volition inactive plans connected continuing with her jet-setting manner aft treatment. Bella, a vice president astatine UBS, from Dulwich, southeast London, said: "It was a existent daze to beryllium diagnosed with encephalon cancer.

"Apart from the seizure, I felt and inactive consciousness OK successful myself. I retrieve waking up connected the level of the buying centre successful Battersea not knowing what had happened and laughed successful disbelief erstwhile my person told maine I'd had a seizure.

"Despite my household history, you ne'er deliberation astatine this property you volition beryllium diagnosed and telling friends and household is the hardest." Bella was conscionable 9 years aged erstwhile she mislaid her sister, Carmen, to the aforesaid illness much than 20 years ago.

Doctors suspected Bella was suffering with neurocysticercosis astatine first. Bella said: "They did an archetypal MRI and the radiologist had suggested what they could spot looked much similar parasite which is communal successful countries astir the world, and I had done just spot of travelling truthful that added to it.

"But past to find retired it was a tumour was precise shocking. My mum died of bosom crab erstwhile I was younger and during an assignment with the oncologist, my dada laid retired the grade of our afloat household history. They couldn't archer america if determination was a link."

An avid traveller, Bella has delayed her remaining day plans - including a travel to India - owed to her diagnosis but says she'll spell arsenic soon arsenic she's good enough. She has chosen not to beryllium told what benignant of crab she is suffering from, and is alternatively focussing connected her fundraising efforts.

Bella is walking 99 Miles successful November successful assistance of Brain Tumour Research and has already raised much than £7,000 for the charity. Bella said: "I've ever been progressive and erstwhile I saw the challenge, I thought, I could bash that region successful a month.

"Not galore radical realise however small wealth is invested successful probe into encephalon tumours which is wherefore supporting Brain Tumour Research is truthful important to me. I don't privation to beryllium conscionable different statistic - I'm maintaining anticipation for myself and others who are diagnosed with this disease."

Brain tumours termination much women nether 35 than bosom cancer, yet conscionable 1 per cent of the nationalist walk connected crab probe has been allocated to encephalon tumours since records began successful 2002, according to Brain Tumour Research. Charlie Allsebrook, assemblage improvement manager astatine Brain Tumour Research, said: "Bella's communicative is simply a reminder that encephalon tumours are indiscriminate - they tin impact anyone astatine immoderate age.

"We are peculiarly shocked to larn of her sister's decease decades earlier. If we are to recognize the disease, we indispensable put successful probe into encephalon tumours. It's lone with the enactment of radical similar Bella - who is taking connected 1 of our Facebook challenges - that volition assistance america person to find kinder treatments and yet a cure for each types of encephalon tumours."