A WOMAN who lost her mum to an aggressive brain tumour was devastated to learn her dad is also now battling the disease.
Julie Green’s mum, Diane Green, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme in 2005 after suffering from migraines for several months.
She had been back and forth to the doctor with headaches for about a year, but they had not got any closer to finding out the cause.
Diane sadly passed away at Warrington Hospital in 2006, and with her dad now fighting a similar battle, Julie is looking to support the charity Brain Tumour Research any way she can.
“One day in March 2005, we had to call an ambulance because mum was going in and out of consciousness,” explained Julie, aged 47 and of Castlefields in Runcorn.
“Paramedics took her to Halton Hospital, where they did a CT scan and found a brain tumour.
“It was such a shock. She was such a lively and bubbly person, and we never expected something like that would happen to her.
“They sent her for an MRI scan, which revealed the tumour was deep inside her brain, limiting her treatment options.”
Diane, who worked as a cleaner in Runcorn, was transferred to The Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Liverpool.
Diane Green sadly passed away at Warrington Hospital in 2006
Surgeons operated but were unable to remove all of the tumour due to its location on the brain.
Julie continued: “From the day we found out about mum’s tumour to the day she passed away, she was not the same again.
“She went downhill quickly, losing her sight and becoming paralysed down one side.
“In the end, she was bed bound and we relied heavily on help from Macmillan nurses. My dad coped as best as he could, but it wasn’t easy for him.”
Eventually, Diane slipped into a deep coma and died at Warrington Hospital on January 2, 2006, surrounded by her loving family.
Having lost his beloved wife to this dreadful disease, in July last year, Julie’s dad John Green, 69, was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and two brain tumours.
Julie said: “Dad was as fit as a fiddle before his diagnosis, so it was really difficult to comprehend.
“He used to work as a fitter’s mate at ICI in Runcorn. After his retirement, he stayed active, walking his springer spaniel every day.”
John Greenwas diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and two brain tumours
John’s shock diagnosis came after he had a fall at home, resulting in a trip to hospital where scans detected the stage four cancer.
Julie said: “Unlike Mum, he had had no symptoms whatsoever. Dad has taken it all in his stride, but I wonder if he is just putting on a brave face sometimes.
“He is having chemotherapy which makes him really poorly, but he is persevering for now. They cannot operate on the brain tumours as they are at the top of the spine.
“He is now receiving palliative care, but he remains very proud and independent, preferring not to have carers in to help him.”
Julie is herself in a wheelchair, due to having the painful bone infection osteomyelitis, which resulted in her having her leg amputated in May 2020.
In spite of her disability, she has been fundraising for Brain Tumour Research in Runcorn town centre as part of the charity’s Wear a Hat Day.
She said: “I am unemployed due to my disability, but I make a donation to brain tumour charities every year.
“When I saw Wear A Hat Day advertised on Facebook, I decided to get involved along with my 15-month-old cocker spaniel, Coco.
“One Saturday I travelled the two miles from my home into town in my wheelchair to collect donations and talk to people about my reasons for supporting the cause. I am proud to have raised more than £300 for the charity so far.”
Now in its 13th year, Wear A Hat Day has raised more than £2million for Brain Tumour Research to help fund the fight against the disease.
Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Less than 12 per cent of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years, compared with an average of 50 per cent across all cancers, and those who do can be left with a wide-range of disabilities.
“We are so sorry to hear that Julie’s family has been impacted twice by this terrible disease.
“We will continue to fund vital research to improve treatment options for brain tumour patients, and ultimately find a cure.
“We are very grateful for Julie’s support and wish her the best of luck for her ongoing fundraising.”
Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet historically just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.
If you would like to donate to Julie’s fundraiser for Brain Tumour Research, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/Julie-Green55
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here