Latest news with #brainTumour
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Paramedic's brain tumour was missed five times by doctors who blamed her symptoms on a 'lazy eye'
A paramedic had her brain tumour missed five times by doctors after her double vision was mistaken for a lazy eye. Hannah Lemanski, 24, thought she was experiencing stress symptoms from shift work when she complained to doctors about vomiting, headaches, and double vision. She visited the GP three times and self-presented at the eye assessment clinic but was always sent home with no answer. On her fourth visit to the GP, Hannah was told she was getting a lazy eye. But after a fifth visit to the eye assessment clinic, an MRI diagnosed Hannah with central neurocytoma - a rare brain tumour which grows in the ventricles of the brain. She had 80 percent of the growth removed in surgery but two years on her tumour is returning. Hannah said doctors recommended gamma-knife radiosurgery to shrink the mass but this is not funded by NHS England for her specific tumour type. The treatment is recognised by the NHS and used to treat various health conditions, including brain tumours, both benign and cancerous. She is now fundraising to get the treatment privately. Hannah, a paramedic, from Middlesborough, said: 'I was always really tired, and I thought that was normal. Obviously, you just get used to it. I just thought it was from working night shifts. 'Looking back now, I had been getting these headaches for years. The GP said I was getting esophoria, which is a lazy eye, and that's what had been causing my symptoms.' Hannah first visited her GP in February 2023 after experiencing headaches and vision problems for two months. She was sent home with no answer and told her symptoms would be presented passed on to another doctor. On her fourth visit to the GP she was told she had a lazy eye. Hannah said: 'Initially I was quite happy that it was nothing serious but after a couple of hours I realised there was something more serious going on. 'It was really hard. After going back so many times and getting nowhere, I was starting to think it was all in my head. 'I just knew something still wasn't right. That's why I kept on pushing.' After a final visit to the eye assessment clinic in March 2023, Hannah was referred for a CT scan and recalled for an MRI. That same day, she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Hannah, who planned to get married later that year, said she thought she was going to die when she heard the news. The wedding to her now-husband, Przemek Lemanski, 34, who was delivering invitations at the time of the diagnosis, had to be delayed. Hannah underwent surgery to remove 80 per cent of the tumour James Cook hospital in May 2023 and returned to the front line as a paramedic. But during a routine scan in March 2025, Hannah was told her tumour is returning. The NHS offers conventional radiotherapy, a destructive treatment which can lead to more cancer developing, but doctors told Hannah the most effective treatment is gamma-knife surgery - a non-invasive and highly targeted form of radiotherapy. But Hannah was told by The National Centre for Stereotactic Radiosurgery in Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire hospital that they don't offer this treatment for her condition - and said NHS England does not commission funds for this treatment and her specific tumour type. She applied for individual funding, but this was rejected. Hannah said: 'It's quite upsetting. You pay your taxes every month and you expect to be looked after when you need it. How can you not look after one of your own? 'Maybe if I wasn't someone who worked for the NHS, I might have just accepted the conventional radiotherapy route, which I think for anyone of a young age without cancer puts them at so much higher risk, especially when there's more effective treatments out there. 'I think it's quite discriminatory really, because I don't understand why someone's brain tumour is better than mine.' Hannah's friend, Becky Calpin, 32, has raised over £12,000 to help Hannah get private treatment, but it could cost up to £20,000. Becky said: 'Hannah is more than a paramedic - she's a bright, healthy, active young woman, married to her best friend and dreaming of starting a family. 'She's the kind of person who lights up every room - always smiling, always giving, always ready to help.' Hannah is now campaigning to reform the individual funding request system by cutting unnecessary delays with a petition that has nearly 3,000 signatures. She said: 'The news of requiring further treatment is daunting, but to discover the NHS may not fund the required care is disheartening and frustrating. 'The individual funding request system was created to manage access to exceptional treatments, but for patients like myself with a critical illness, it feels like a barrier rather than a lifeline. When clinicians advocate for treatment based upon medical need, the system should support that judgment, not stand in the way. 'A person living with a critical illness has already faced many challenges - physically, mentally, and emotionally. 'No one living with a critical illness should have to fight for their care. When effective, recommended, affordable, and available treatment exists, why is the NHS gambling with unnecessary delays?' The petition could help other people whose conditions are a loophole in the funding list, Hannah says, but also could protect her in the future should the tumour regrow. You can sign Hannah's petition here. Or support her treatment here. A spokesperson for NHS England said: 'We understand the importance of making decisions quickly to avoid unnecessary distress and, where treatment isn't routinely funded, clinicians can submit an individual funding request if there are exceptional clinical reasons. 'The NHS funds specialist stereotactic radiosurgery and radiotherapy for some cancers where there is evidence of a clinical benefit over standard treatments, as part of the personalised care provided for patients.'
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Stoke-on-Trent medics treat brain tumour mistaken for heat stroke
A woman who was told by doctors while on holiday she had heat stroke, returned home and discovered she had a brain tumour. Moli Morgan had two seizures while on holiday in Turkey and despite reassurance it was not serious, after she flew home she decided to get it checked out at Royal Shrewsbury revealed she had a life-threatening tumour and the young farmer from Llanerfyl, in Powys, was transferred to a specialist neurology centre at Royal Stoke University Hospital, where it was decided the mass would be removed by an awake craniotomy."It was a massive shock as I had never suffered any symptoms before," said Ms Morgan, who was diagnosed in October 2024. "Everything seemed to happen quickly from being told it was a tumour and what the plan would be next." Talking during surgery Ms Morgan, whose first language is Welsh, was accompanied by a translator during her surgery in December as it was "vital" she spoke throughout the operation to ensure she did not lose the ability to speak both English and Welsh after the tumour was removed, a spokesperson for the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) consultant neurologist, Dr Albanese, said the interpreter, Ben, asked questions in Welsh and Ms Morgan replied in English. She did not remember much about the surgery but said Ben had been "amazing" and "kept her talking" to check she had answered correctly. Dr Albanese described the 22-year-old's recovery as "incredible". 'Back to normal' Ms Morgan had since returned to the ward where she was treated at the UHNM and handed over a £345 cheque after she hosted a concert for the hospital trust's charity. "The care has been amazing and I am so thankful for what everyone did for me."The 22-year-old added that she was "back to normal" and pleased to support the charity. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
MSP vows to continue campaign for brain tumour cure after leaving Holyrood
An MSP who has been campaigning for a brain tumour cure since her daughter was diagnosed with one more than a decade ago has vowed to continue the fight when she leaves Holyrood. Beatrice Wishart has been a supporter of the charity Brain Tumour Research since her daughter Louise Fraser, now 47, was diagnosed in 2012. The Liberal Democrat MSP for the Shetland Islands will step down from frontline politics at the 2026 Holyrood election. But the 69-year-old said that will not stop her from continuing to push for more research into brain tumours. 'Louise had suffered with debilitating migraines for many years, so we were used to the phone calls and knew the routine – help with the children, keep things quiet, and let her rest in a dark room,' Ms Wishart said. 'But on New Year's Day (2012) she became seriously unwell. When I went to check on her, she wasn't speaking properly and I honestly thought she'd had a stroke. It was terrifying. 'Due to staff shortages and as there wasn't an MRI scanner in Shetland at the time, it took a few days before she was flown to Aberdeen. 'That's when we were told it was a brain tumour. Your whole world falls apart when you hear those words, especially when it's your child. 'I remember being told it was low-grade and slow-growing, but the diagnosis still knocked the wind out of me. 'In that moment, everything changed. 'Once I had a better understanding of Louise's treatment, I wanted to know more about the prevalence of brain tumours and that led to wanting to do something to raise awareness for more research, ultimately leading to better support and early diagnoses for other families going through the same fear and uncertainty.' Ms Fraser underwent surgery at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and her tumour is now stable and monitored regularly. Brain Tumour Research said tumours can impact people of any age, and kill more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer. But just 1% of the national spend on cancer goes to brain tumour research, it said. Ms Wishart has campaigned for more money to fund brain tumour research and ensure people can receive an earlier diagnosis. The MSP helped set up Holyrood's Cross-Party Group on Brain Tumours and has supported the launch of the Scottish Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence, which Brain Tumour Research described as a 'game-changing' collaboration with the Beatson Cancer Charity. Following the death of Ms Fraser's husband Kris from a brain haemorrhage in 2024, Ms Wishart continued to increase her support for the charity. The Liberal Democrat has helped raise thousands of pounds through various events in memory of Mr Fraser and in ongoing support of her daughter. As she prepares to leave the Scottish Parliament next year, Ms Wishart pledged to continue to fight for those with brain tumours. She said: 'Just because I'm stepping back from Parliament doesn't mean I'll stop fighting for this cause. 'Brain tumours have had a profound impact on my family, and I know we are not alone. I will keep speaking up, sharing our story, and doing whatever I can to push for change. 'I'm proud of what was started in the Scottish Parliament, and know the Cross-Party Group will continue to carry that work forward. Only together will we find a cure for this devastating disease.' Thomas Brayford, policy and public affairs manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: 'Beatrice has been an outstanding advocate for the brain tumour community in Scotland. 'From raising policy issues in Parliament to supporting events in her local area, she has helped give a voice to so many families and inspired others to act. 'We are incredibly grateful for everything she has done and continues to do.' To support Ms Wishart and her family's ongoing fundraising efforts, visit:
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Paramedic's brain tumour missed five times by doctors
A paramedic has said her brain tumour was missed five times by doctors. Hannah Lemanski, 24, thought she was experiencing symptoms of stress from shift work when she complained to medics about vomiting, headaches, and double vision. She first visited her GP in February 2023 after experiencing headaches and vision problems for two months, but was sent home with no answer and told her symptoms would be passed on to another doctor. On her fourth visit to the GP she was told she had a lazy eye. After a fifth visit to the eye assessment clinic, an MRI scan diagnosed her with central neurocytoma – a rare brain tumour which grows in the ventricles of the brain. She had 80 per cent of the tumour removed in surgery but two years on it is returning. Doctors recommended gamma-knife radiosurgery to shrink the mass but this is not funded by NHS England for her specific tumour type. The treatment is recognised by the NHS and used to treat various health conditions, including brain tumours, both benign and cancerous. She is now fundraising to get the treatment privately. Ms Lemanski, from Middlesborough, said she thought she was going to die when she was first told of her diagnosis. Her wedding to her now-husband, Przemek Lemanski, 34, who was delivering invitations at the time of the diagnosis, had to be delayed. She underwent surgery to remove 80 per cent of the tumour James Cook hospital in May 2023 and returned to work as a paramedic. During a routine scan in March 2025, she was told her tumour is returning. The NHS offers conventional radiotherapy, a destructive treatment which can lead to more cancer developing, but doctors told Hannah the most effective treatment is gamma-knife surgery – a non-invasive and highly targeted form of radiotherapy. But Ms Lemanski was told by The National Centre for Stereotactic Radiosurgery in Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire Hospital that they don't offer this treatment for her condition – and said NHS England does not commission funds for this treatment and her specific tumour type. She applied for individual funding, but this was rejected. She said: 'It's quite upsetting. You pay your taxes every month and you expect to be looked after when you need it. How can you not look after one of your own? 'Maybe if I wasn't someone who worked for the NHS, I might have just accepted the conventional radiotherapy route, which I think for anyone of a young age without cancer puts them at so much higher risk, especially when there's more effective treatments out there. 'I think it's quite discriminatory really, because I don't understand why someone's brain tumour is better than mine.' Her friend Becky Calpin, 32, has raised over £12,000 to help Ms Lemanski get private treatment, but it could cost up to £20,000. Becky said: 'Hannah is more than a paramedic – she's a bright, healthy, active young woman, married to her best friend and dreaming of starting a family. 'She's the kind of person who lights up every room – always smiling, always giving, always ready to help.' An NHS England spokesperson said: 'We understand the importance of making decisions quickly to avoid unnecessary distress and, where treatment isn't routinely funded, clinicians can submit an individual funding request if there are exceptional clinical reasons. 'The NHS funds specialist stereotactic radiosurgery and radiotherapy for some cancers where there is evidence of a clinical benefit over standard treatments, as part of the personalised care provided for patients.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Nightclub worker diagnosed with brain tumour reveals key early sign
A Birmingham nightclub worker was diagnosed with a brain tumour after getting lost in a place he knew "like the back of his hand". Tom Weatherstone, from Sheldon, had visited Perranporth in Cornwall all his life but couldn't find his way back from the beach in summer 2022. After he was diagnosed, he said his confusion may have been the first sign something was wrong. READ MORE: Dad who built £180k back garden bungalow for ill father has days to tear it down He also started having headaches, sickness and blurry pixelated vision in his right eye but his family believed they were linked to his job and lifestyle. He was diagnosed less than a year later after he was sent for blood tests and a CT scan by a doctor who spotted his hand tremors during a routine and unrelated private appointment in March 2023. The now-23-year-old was previously told he had a vitamin deficiency following a telephone consultation with his GP and was prescribed vitamin B12, D and folic acid. He was told he needed surgery to treat it, which could result in him losing his sight, his memory, his mobility or even his speech. Tom said: 'Retrospectively, the first sign came earlier, during a family holiday in the summer of 2022. 'One day, I walked back from the beach and got lost in a place I had known my whole life like the back of my hand. "At the time, it seemed odd, but we didn't think much of it. Looking back, it was the beginning of something none of us could have imagined.' READ MORE: City station attacker who 'bit and clawed' police dies at bail hostel Tom's oldest sister, Josie, 27, said: 'When Tom started having headaches, throwing up, vision problems, and noticing a tremor in his hand, we put it down to his lifestyle and assumed his job in a nightclub, the noise and bright lights were the cause. 'After Tom was diagnosed with a mineral deficiency, none of us thought it was a symptom of a brain tumour.' Tom continued: 'I had more bloods taken, another CT scan, and a sight test done at Heartlands Hospital in March 2023. 'By early the next morning, they confirmed again there was something there. 'I was transferred that same day to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. I remember the anxiety building. 'I was scared. I just wanted to know what was in my head that was causing so much alarm.' At the QE, Tom was diagnosed with an astrocytoma, a tumour which develops from star-shaped glial cells, and had urgent surgery to fit a shunt to relieve pressure on his brain and a biopsy. He said: 'Doctors said the risks of surgery were loss of sight, mobility, memory or even speech loss. 'I was on my own, no family, and the doctor just said: 'It's a tumour'. I didn't know what to say. 'I rang my family straight away, I was in shock, devastated. 'I'd gone to the doctor for a routine check and now I was in hospital with a brain tumour.' Tom had a second operation on May 22 2023 to 'debulk' the tumour, which resulted in the partial loss of peripheral vision in his right eye. READ MORE: Hero police officer saves woman from dog attack which nearly killed her Five days later, Tom returned home to recover, but at his follow-up appointment, he was given the devastating news that the tumour had progressed from grade 2 to grade 4. He said: 'When I heard it was grade 4, I put on a brave face, but inside I was crushed. 'I stayed positive, I had to, but it wasn't easy.' Tom underwent six weeks of radiotherapy, followed by a year of chemotherapy. In December 2024, an MRI scan revealed a second astrocytoma, inoperable due to its sensitive location, but stable. A third tumour is not responding to treatment. He now undergoes MRI scans every three months. Now Josie and Tom's younger sister Gemma, 19, are taking on the 88 Squats a Day in July challenge to raise money for Brain Tumour Research in support of Tom and others affected. They can be backed on their JustGiving page here. Josie said: 'If we'd known Tom's symptoms were those of a brain tumour, we'd have taken him straight to hospital. 'I'm taking on the 88 Squats a Day Challenge for Tom because no-one should have to go through what he has. 'Watching someone you love face a brain tumour is heartbreaking. 'If raising awareness and money helps even one family get an earlier diagnosis or better treatment, every squat is worth it.' Get the latest BirminghamLive news direct to your inbox Katrina Jones, head of community and digital fundraising at Brain Tumour Research, said: 'We're incredibly grateful to Josie for taking on the 88 Squats Challenge in support of Tom. 'Her determination and strength are truly inspiring. 'Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40 in the UK, yet research into them remains severely underfunded. 'Supporters like Josie play a vital role in helping us fund the research needed to improve outcomes and ultimately find a cure." Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, find a cure. The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.
