'The moment on the school run I knew something was very wrong'

Several months into discovering she was expecting a second child, Sarah Wilson should have been cherishing the joys of pregnancy.

But a string of bizarre symptoms were casting a shadow over her happy moments – leaving the mum fearing there was something sinister happening beneath the surface.

Sarah, from Stalybridge, was 27 and six months pregnant when she observed a change in her health.

READ MORE: 'An awful moment at a soft play area with my baby told me I needed to change'

The self-employed hairdresser suddenly noticed a numbness in her cheek and her balance felt off. She also struggled to hear anyone through her left ear and began experiencing tinnitus.

Sarah, now 38, visited her doctor who said her symptoms were likely down to pregnancy but referred her to the ear nose and throat department.

During the appointment, which didn’t go ahead until eight months later, Sarah was told she would need an MRI scan. However, due to still being pregnant, this was scheduled for after her C-section birth.

“I got a feeling something wasn’t right,” Sarah told the Manchester Evening News. “My instinct was telling me. Every time I went to a doctor, they said it was pregnancy-related symptoms.”

Sarah began carrying out her own research and quickly noticed her symptoms pointed to a brain tumour.

Everything came to a head when she was on the school run with her eldest child and noticed something was wrong with her eye. Though the sun was shining, Sarah noticed her eye wasn’t squinting or closing properly.

Sarah gave birth to her son, now age 10, and underwent her MRI scan a week later – but she knew something was wrong almost immediately.

“As soon as I came out the room and I saw the staff, I could just tell from looking at them,” she added. “I knew what was going on.

“I was sat there with my baby and my mum and I saw a nurse take a box of tissues in. I said to my mum, ‘I bet I get called into that room.’”

And she did. That’s when the mum-of-two was given the devastating news – she had a brain tumour.

A brain tumour is a growth in your brain and can be non-cancerous or cancerous. Symptoms of a brain tumour include a headache, seizures, memory problems and changes in your personality.

Treatments for brain tumours include medicines, surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Sarah underwent an operation to remove the tumour and was told there was just a one percent chance of it returning.

Incredibly, she also discovered her pregnancy had been providing some protection by softening her side effects and reducing the pressure of the tumour on her brain.

Sadly, while the tumour was gone, it did leave the mum with permanent damage including deafness in her left ear, tinnitus, balance issues, dry mouth and nerve issues.

A decade passed and everything seemed fine at Sarah’s routine appointments until June 2024. Tragically, a scan showed the mum’s tumour had returned.

Sarah had just kickstarted her self-employed hairdressing job when she received a call from the hospital asking her to come in.

“I didn’t even for one minute think it would come back,” Sarah said. “I had a phone call a week after the scan to say I had an appointment.

“I thought, ‘This is really inconvenient, I don’t need an appointment to be told it’s not come back.’”

The results showed a small regrowth which is affecting a nerve along the mum’s face. She now has to choose between several treatments – all of which could have terrifying outcomes resulting in damage to swallow and speech or facial paralysis.

The mum is now fundraising to see a private consultant who will be able to help her choose the correct treatment.

The fundraiser reads: “Sarah’s spirit remains unbroken, and she is determined to fight this battle with the same positivity that has always defined her. This journey requires specialised advice and various treatment options, making it essential for her to focus on her health and recovery.

“As a self-employed individual, Sarah faces the added challenge of balancing her work with the need for treatment. To support her and her beautiful family during this time, we are aiming to raise £4,000. This will provide Sarah with the financial flexibility to take the time off work she needs to prioritise her health without the stress of financial burdens. Any extra funds will be donated to a charity chosen by Sarah.

“Every contribution, no matter how small, will make a meaningful impact and help Sarah access the care she needs. Together, we can uplift her spirit and show her that she is surrounded by a community that cares deeply.”