Dad was told headaches were sinusitis - then his 'world fell apart'

Wales Online

07-07-2025

Dad was told headaches were sinusitis - then his 'world fell apart'
Charlie Broadhurst had been suffering from them for more than a decade before the true cause was discovered
Charlie Broadhurst pictured during treatment
(Image: Brain Tumour Research/SWNS )
A man with headaches told to go the opticians by doctors discovered he'd had a brain tumour - for more than 10 years. Charlie Broadhurst, 36, was suffering with headaches back in 2011.
But when he went to hospital for an MRI scan at the time - he was told that his headaches were due to sinusitis and advised to visit his optician. Charlie, a married father-of-two from West Hanney, Oxfordshire, went on with his life - until January 2022.
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He was resting in bed whilst recovering from a mild sickness bug and experienced a tingling in his lip. Charlie, who said he remembered the familiar feeling from childhood when he had febrile convulsions, then suffered a seizure. He was later diagnosed with a grade 2 astrocytoma - a brain tumour that had grown undetected for over a decade.
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Charlie's wife, Siobhan, 34, said: 'Our whole world fell apart, it was terrifying, we didn't know how severe it was, but you hear the words 'brain tumour' and we just knew it wasn't good.'
Charlie was given a life expectancy of 10 to 20 years.
Charlie said: 'I crumbled and was horrified. So many thoughts flooded my brain, I had already lost 11 years due to misdiagnosis. I was so angry.
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"Had I known in 2011 what I was up against, I would never have done this to my children or wife. Knowing now what they must face, I would have saved them from all of this.'
Speaking of the advice to visit opticians, he said: "I kind of left it and, when I did have a headache, made sure I was wearing my glasses a little bit more."
Charlie Broadhurst with his wife Siobhan during treatment
(Image: Brain Tumour Research/SWNS )
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Charlie has since undergone brain surgery twice since his diagnosis and a good amount of the tumour has been successfully removed. He also had six weeks of daily radiotherapy and six months of chemotherapy, which he said was "really hard going".
Despite intense fatigue and hair loss, Charlie explained how he found a sense of stability in continuing to work between treatment sessions. He is currently under active surveillance, with scans every six months to monitor the tumour.
Siobhan began raising money for Brain Tumour Research to channel the fear that came with Charlie's diagnosis. She has since raised more than £25,000 - with no plans to stop.
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Siobhan, an Early Years Foundation Stage teaching assistant, said: "If Charlie's symptoms had been recognised sooner, things could have been very different. I'm doing this for him, for our family, and for everyone going through a brain tumour diagnosis. Brain tumours don't care who you are, they're indiscriminate and relentless.
Charlie Broadhurst with wife Siobhan and their children
(Image: Brain Tumour Research/SWNS )
"They kill more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer in the UK, yet research is still so underfunded. That's why I'm taking on the 88 Squats a Day in July Challenge to raise money and awareness, and to help find a cure.
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"Since 2022, I've raised over £25,000 for Brain Tumour Research, but I won't stop until families like ours stop hearing the words 'you have a brain tumour''.
Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, and they kill more men under 70 than prostate cancer.
To donate, visit Siobhan's fundraising page.