Latest news with #FionaCharles
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Strange change to my NOSE was the first sign of lethal brain cancer - now I have a year to live
A mother-of-three whose lethal brain cancer was missed by NHS doctors has revealed she has just a year to live, after struggling with bizarre symptoms she assumed were evidence of a mini-stroke. Fiona Charles, 61, was baffled when she began to experience 'random and strange episodes' last summer, involving phantom smells like burning foods filling her nose. This was usually coupled with a sudden rush of overheating and racing heartbeat. The retired primary school teacher, from Aberdeen, was mostly concerned about the heart palpitations, assuming they were the sign of a mini-stroke 'that would lead to a major one'. But when Ms Charles visited her GP for help, she was told not to worry—her symptoms were 'unlikely' to be anything sinister. But left 'unsatisfied', the family pushed for further investigations and arranged for a private MRI scan of her brain in October 2024. The test revealed the devastating truth: Ms Charles had a glioblastoma—one of the deadliest type of cancers that kills 95 per cent of patients within five years. Only a quarter of patients will survive more than a year, according to The Brain Tumour charity. Ms Charles was given a prognosis of between a year and 18 months, despite a doctor-recommended treatment pathway. Speaking of the heartbreaking diagnosis her son Jonny said: 'I'll never forget when she called us to come over so she could give the news to us in person. 'We sat down in the living room, and she told us she had cancer. 'We were all trying to come to terms with it, thinking about what the future might look like. 'But it hit me that there were things she might never get to see. Weddings, grandchildren, all the moments you take for granted.' Since her diagnosis, Ms Charles has completed radiotherapy and is currently on round five of six chemotherapy sessions. The treatment is going as well as could be hoped, but has come with some severe side effects including severe fatigue, weight loss and reduced appetite. Determined to keep her spirits up, Ms Charles has slowly returned to activities she loves like baking and cooking. To help raise funds for Brain Tumour Research, Jonny will be taking on the Edinburgh Half Marathon this Sunday. He will run 13.1 miles and is determined to make sure more people understand how overlooked brain tumours still are. 'This isn't about finishing with a fast time. I'm doing it to raise money, to raise awareness,' he said. 'Just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research goes to brain tumours, even though they are one of the most aggressive and devastating forms of cancer. 'That feels completely out of step with the impact they have on families like mine.' Around 2,500 Britons and 12,000 Americans are diagnosed with a glioblastoma every year. Headaches, seizures, nausea, drowsiness, vision problems and personality changes are key symptoms. These are caused by the tumour increasing pressure inside the skull as it grows. However, depending on where the growth is in the brain, patients can experience less common symptoms such as changes in sense of smell and taste and problems with speech. Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are go-to treatments, but in the vast majority of cases, this only works to keep the cancer at bay for a short period of time. The lethal disease claimed the life of The Wanted singer Tom Parker in 2022. He was aged just 33. The star was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma in October 2020, and was given just 12 months to live by doctors. In September 2021, 11 months on from the diagnosis, the father-of-two sang at the Stand Up 2 Cancer show at the Royal Albert Hall and even embarked on a Greatest Hits tour with his bandmates when the tumour was confirmed as 'stable' in November. But a close family friend revealed today that his condition deteriorated rapidly once the tour came to an end in early 2022.
Daily Record
23-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Scots mum told she has incurable brain cancer after GP said it didn't 'look like tumour'
Fiona Charles found out her symptoms were actually from an aggressive and incurable brain tumour. A Scots mum was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour after medics said a mass on her brain "doesn't look like tumour." After what experiencing hot flushes and a 'mini stroke', Fiona Charles from Aberdeen found out the symptoms were actually from an aggressive and incurable brain tumour. Now son, Jonny Charles, 29, is running 13.1 miles to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research, following his mum Fiona's shock diagnosis with glioblastoma in October 2024. Jonny told Aberdeen Live:"Mum would do anything for anyone. She gave up her teaching career to raise me, my brother Matthew and my sister Jennifer. "She was always active, playing golf, walking a lot, and taking part in agility competitions with our dog, Pippa. They've won so many rosettes that I don't think I could count them. "In mid-2024, mum started having these odd episodes where she'd suddenly feel hot and flustered, with her heart racing, and she would need to sip water to calm herself. "She also mentioned a strange smell in her nose, like burning food, but couldn't describe it properly. At first, we were worried her heart palpitations may be mini strokes that would lead to a major one, but we just weren't sure. "Eventually, my parents decided to go private for an MRI because we just weren't getting answers. That scan changed everything." Although a GP letter had initially reassured the family that the "small area of change at the front of the brain absolutely does not look like a brain tumour", they were not satisfied and pushed for further investigation, arranging a private MRI scan at Albyn Hospital in Aberdeen. The results revealed a mass in Fiona's brain. Further testing, including a biopsy, confirmed it was a glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive and fast-growing forms of brain tumour, with a prognosis of 12 to 18 months. Fiona received the news just before her 61st birthday. "I'll never forget when she called us to come over so she could give the news to us in person," Jonny said. "She didn't tell us why, which made the wait really difficult. We sat down in the living room, and she told us she had cancer. "She stayed calm, but I could see the effort it took. We were all trying to come to terms with it, thinking about what the future might look like. "It hit me that there were things she might never get to see – weddings, grandchildren, all the moments you take for granted." Since her diagnosis, Fiona has completed radiotherapy and is currently on round five of six chemotherapy sessions, with treatment going as well as could be hoped. She has experienced fatigue, weight loss and reduced appetite, and has made significant changes to her diet after researching how sugar might fuel tumour growth. Initially on a mostly liquid diet, Fiona has now returned to eating more normally. She is also back to baking and cooking – activities she loves and that help lift her spirits. Jonny is now training for the Edinburgh Half Marathon in support of the new Scottish Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence, a collaboration between Brain Tumour Research and Beatson Cancer Charity. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The centre, based in Glasgow and Edinburgh universities, is focusing on research into glioblastoma . Jonny said: "Before Mum's diagnosis, I had never even heard of glioblastoma. When I started reading about it, what shocked me most was how little funding it receives. "Just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research goes to brain tumours, even though they are one of the most aggressive and devastating forms of cancer. "That feels completely out of step with the impact they have on families like mine. This isn't about finishing with a fast time. I'm doing it to raise money, to raise awareness, and to help make sure more people understand how overlooked brain tumours still are." Ashley McWilliams, Community Development Manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: "Jonny's story is incredibly powerful. His love for his mum and his commitment to doing something practical and positive are truly inspiring. "We are proud to have him supporting our work and wish him every success with the Edinburgh Half Marathon." To support Jonny's fundraising challenge, click here.
