Latest news with #ConnorMcCann
Daily Mirror
23-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'I was hit by a car while riding an e-scooter, but it actually saved my life'
In a twist of fate, Connor McCann was saved after being struck by a car while riding an e-scooter. The incident led to a shocking discovery and the 35-year-old thanking the driver A man who was hit by a car while riding an e-scooter said the incident actually saved his life, after he was given some life-changing news. On December 8, 2022, Connor McCann, 35, from Omagh, Northern Ireland, opted to ride an e-scooter home from work, rather than walk, after finishing late as an optometrist. As he navigated the wintery roads, which he described as "cold and dark", Connor was struck by a grey Range Rover. He crashed to the hard ground and crawled to the pavement in confusion. At this moment, he remembered his muscles were not "behaving properly" as he looked back towards the car and that they were "moving in the opposite direction", including his neck and head. This was the last thing Connor could remember before he woke up in the back of an ambulance. He was rushed to hospital and recalls feeling pain in his toes from his foot that had been crushed under the scooter following the collision. At this moment, he knew he had done some damage. READ MORE: 'My mum hasn't eaten in 267 days - she's hanging by a thread on hunger strike' While in hospital, Connor underwent some routine scans to check that he didn't have any bleeding or a concussion, following the crash. But the results were nothing like what he imagined. He told Mail Online: "They said the good news was that there was no internal bleeding or haemorrhaging, but the bad news was that they had found a primary brain tumour." Reflecting back, Connor has a heartfelt thanks to the driver who knocked him off his e-scooter on that fateful day, despite still not knowing his identity. He told the publication: "If it wasn't for being hit, I wouldn't have known, so in a way the driver hitting me actually did me a bit of a favour." Doctors discovered the "pear-sized" low-grade tumour, and Connor underwent several surgeries during treatment. This included his first craniotomy in February 2023, which saw doctors remove 70 per cent of the tumour. However, they were forced to stop due to its proximity to the "eloquent speech area" of his brain, which could have left Connor permanently unable to speak. Despite this, he was later diagnosed with aphasia, a condition that affects the ability to communicate, and for around three months after the surgery, he was unable to speak. Thankfully, he recovered and was able to return to his job six months later. But tragically, during an MRI check-up in February, it revealed that a new growth had developed in Connor's brain. This saw him undergo six weeks of radiotherapy, which he is now four weeks into, before a round of chemotherapy. Following the news, three of his friends, Ethan, Damien and Daniel, have launched a GoFundMe page to help cover Connor's medical costs. In addition, it will also help cover the loss of income as he was forced to temporarily stop working during treatment.
Daily Mail
22-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I owe the driver a pint! I was hit by a Range Rover while riding an e-scooter and rushed to hospital where doctors found a BRAIN tumour... the crash saved my life
A man who was struck by a car while riding an e-scooter home from work has said he wants to 'buy the driver a pint' after hospital scans following the incident revealed he had a brain tumour. Connor McCann, 35, from Omagh, Northern Ireland, had finished a late shift in his job as an optometrist on December 8, 2022, when he uncharacteristically decided not to walk home. Instead, he hopped on what he now describes as the 'death trap' scooter and while navigating the 'cold and dark' roads was struck by a grey Range Rover which sent him crashing to the ground. In shock, Connor crawled to the pavement in a daze and recalls that as the moment he had his first of what are now fortnightly seizures. 'I looked back towards the car and realised that my muscles weren't behaving properly,' he told MailOnline. 'They were moving in the opposite direction. My muscles, my neck and head were pointing up and to the right and I bit my tongue. 'That's the last thing I remember before waking up in the back of an ambulance.' Adjusting his eyes as the lights beamed down on him and the sounds of sirens rung out, Connor could feel pain in his toes after his foot had been wedged under the deck of the scooter during the collision. Connor was going to have his foot wrapped in a bandage for a number of weeks - that much he knew. However it was the discovery of a 'pear-sized', low-grade glioma quietly growing in his head that he did not expect. 'They had to do a scan to make sure I had no internal bleeding or a concussion, which I definitely had,' he continued. 'So I was expecting them to just come back to me with that, but instead they've done a "good news, bad news" sort of thing. 'They said the good news was that there was no internal bleeding or haemorrhaging, but the bad news was that they had found a primary brain tumour. 'If it wasn't for being hit I wouldn't have known, so in a way the driver hitting me actually did me a bit of a favour.' To this day, Connor still doesn't know the identity of the driver who struck him but hopes they can one day meet up over a beer. He said the man even man sure his Garmin watch, which fell off during the collison, was returned to him without a scratch. Despite his positive outlook now, Connor was forced to undergo some gruelling rounds of surgery. In February 2023 he had the first - a craniotomy. He recalls dipping in and out of consciousness during, and saw surgeons remove 70 per cent of the tumour. However, they were forced to stop due to its proximity to the 'eloquent speech area' of his brain. If they hadn't, Connor would have been left permanently unable to communicate. In February 2023 Connor underwent a craniotomy which he dipped in and out of consciousness during, and saw surgeons remove 70 per cent of the tumour Though they were able to avoid this, medics were still forced to diagnose him with aphasia, a condition which restricts Connor's verbal and gesturing abilities and affected him for almost three months after the surgery where he was unable to speak. Despite this setback, Connor made a remarkable recovery and was soon back on his feet, returning to his optometry job six months later. 'My job involves a lot of patient communication and I had been working in the same practice for over a decade, so a lot of my patients know me and um were waiting for me to come back,' he said. 'So I returned slowly but surely and built it up. I got over a lot of mixed emotions, determination and a little bit of imposter syndrome, too. 'I was worried about a lot of things: could I communicate effectively? Was my brain quick enough? 'But ultimately I was successful until the the most recent scan that I had earlier this year.' While undergoing an MRI check-up in February, doctors noticed new areas of Connor's brain had been lighting up when under scan - they had discovered a new growth. This prompted the decision for Connor to undertake six weeks of radiotherapy, which he is currently four weeks through, before a course of chemotherapy which means he has to step back from work again. Ethan Loughrey, 35, has been friends with the 'kind and sensitive' Connor for more than two decades and told MailOnline when he realised he could play a 'little part' in helping him. 'I had been chatting regularly to him after the growth and he left me a voice note one day just talking through how he was feeling,' Ethan said. 'One of the things he happened to mention that was worrying him was the finance side of things, but he said it very much as a passing comment in a six or seven minute voice note. 'And I remember just thinking, okay, there's something we might be able to do.' Alongside two of his friends, Damien and Daniel, Ethan launched a GoFundMe to help cover Connor's medical expenses and lost income which has raised thousands from friends, family and strangers moved by his story. 'Me and the guys are the smallest part of this, so we're just really happy that it's going well,' Ethan added. 'Connor is unbelievably and incredibly positive about it all. We just want to help him get a few pounds to help him not have to worry as much about his treatment.'
