24-05-2025
Dad who experienced 'terrible back pain' died nine days after going to hospital
A dad-of-two who experienced 'terrible back pain' tragically died just nine days after going to the hospital.
Kevin O'Mahoney, 54, passed away in May 2019, after an MRI scan revealed his cancer had returned.
Kevin, from Cannock, who was a construction contractor, drummer and rock music enthusiast, was initially diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour in February 2018.
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Doctors found the tumour near his brain stem after he suffered a seizure.
He underwent six-hour surgery at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham before going on to have intensive physiotherapy at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.
That was followed by a course of radiotherapy.
However, 13 months after his initial diagnosis, Kevin began experiencing terrible back pain and an MRI scan revealed his tumour had returned in three places.
His wife Annette said: "After seeing the consultant about starting further treatment, Kevin's health deteriorated in the flick of a switch.
"He was talking gibberish and kept repeating himself.
"He was vomiting, and on a high dose of painkillers."
Sadly, nine days after going to the hospital, Kevin died on May 24, 2019, leaving behind his wife and their two daughters, Paige and Eve, who were 22 and 20, respectively.
His tragic story has been shared as part of Brain Tumour Awareness Month.
Kevin's heartbroken family have raised thousands of pounds to help find a cure for the devastating disease.
They set up a fundraising group called In Kev's Memory, which to date has raised close to £23,000.
Since losing Kevin, his brother Ges, brother-in-law Jim Cowdell, and friend Steve Evans have completed a number of fundraising challenges to mark the anniversaries of Kevin's death.
Last year, they climbed Ben Nevis and walked the West Highland Way, raising more than £4,000.
Ges said: "The government doesn't give enough money to research brain tumours and it doesn't recognise the terrible impact they have on families.
"It's some comfort to think that the donations made in Kev's memory are helping to make a difference for people diagnosed with brain tumours in the future."
On Thursday, March 6, Kevin's wife Annette, along with brother Ges, his brother's wife Annie, and Kevin's sisters Carol Lunn and Margaret Thacker, were invited to the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at The University of Plymouth to find how their fundraising has helped scientists to improve the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumours.
They were given a tour of the labs, led by Professor Oliver Hanemann, chair of clinical neurobiology at the university, and spoke to scientists.
The family members also placed eight tiles dedicated to Kevin on the centre's Wall of Hope, representative of the £2,740 it costs to sponsor each day of research. To find out more about the research, click here.
Ges added: "Sadly, it's too late for Kev, but I hope the money raised in his memory is life-changing and brings the day closer when a cure is found and families don't have to go through what we have."
Louise Aubrey, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, added: "We're really grateful to Kev's family for their support and generosity.
"We hope that their visit to our Centre of Excellence at Plymouth offered a useful insight into all we're doing to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately, find a cure.
"Just under 13% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 54% across all cancers, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.
"This has to change."
