Northampton teacher diagnosed with brain tumour after she couldn't read any letters in eye test

Gemma Hillier, 45, lost her dad, Rod, 73, in July 2018 after he was diagnosed with a glioblastoma - an aggressive type of brain tumour - in February of that year.

In September 2023, Gemma went to her local opticians for a standard eye test and struggled to read the letters in front of her.

Her optician then referred her to an eye clinic after further testing and in November 2023 Gemma had an MRI scan.

The results showed that she had a brain tumour and in February 2024, Gemma had surgery at John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, to remove what they could. The surgery was a success after surgeons removed 90 percent of the tumour.

Now, Gemma is monitored by regular scans to check for any growth.

Gemma, a teacher, from Northampton, said: "Brain tumours have rocked my world in the last six years.

"It is hard to believe that I am living with a brain tumour. They said that I could have been living with it for years. I could have had it when my dad had his.

"I am lucky in some aspects - I do have a brain tumour but I can live with it. It is crazy knowing that I am walking around with a brain tumour."

Gemma didn't experience any symptoms until she went in for a check-up at her local optician.

She said: "When I sat in the chair, I couldn't read any of the letters which I found strange as I thought I had good vision.

"I then had further tests, including a visual field test which I failed.

"My optician got her colleague to look at my eye, and they referred me to an eye clinic."

After being referred to the eye clinic, Gemma said she went "back and forth" with specialists so went privately to an ophthalmologist who referred her for an MRI scan.

In November 2023, the MRI results showed that Gemma had a brain tumour and would need to be removed.

She said: "No one seemed to be in a rush to fix me or find out what was wrong so eventually I went to a private ophthalmologist who after only five minutes into the appointment noticed something wasn’t right and sent me for an MRI.

"Four days after the MRI, I had the phone call to say they had found a brain tumour. In some ways, I felt relief, I kept thinking I was imagining the symptoms I was having. Over this time my headaches were getting worse and worse."

Gemma was referred to John Radcliffe Hospital for surgery to remove the tumour, which was wrapped around her optic nerve.

She said: "I was told surgery was really my only option to save the sight in my right eye as the tumour was growing.

"Christmas came and went and then in February 2024 I had my resection of my tumour.

"I spent time in the ICU, the same one that my dad had been in six years ago, and then had many months off work to recover from the surgery and get myself fit and healthy again.

"The surgery was a success and 90 percent of the tumour was removed."

After the surgery, Gemma was told her tumour was a grade two meningioma and has regular check-up scans to monitor it for growth.

Gemma said it is "crazy" living knowing she has a brain tumour but considers herself lucky.

She said: "My tumour is grade two and so I’m currently having regular scans to check its growth. I’ve been told by my surgeon that if it does grow, I’ll need radiotherapy.

"The past year has been tough both physically and mentally. But I know I’m one of the lucky ones. It could have been so much worse - just like it was for my dad."

Catherine Fraher, director of services and digital health at The Brain Tumour Charity, said: “We're really grateful to everyone who shares their - often heartbreaking - story to raise awareness of brain tumours.

"We know that every family deals with a brain tumour diagnosis and its aftermath in their own unique way.

"That's why The Brain Tumour Charity offers support to anyone who needs it. It’s so important for them to know that they are not alone.

"You can find out more about our specialist teams by calling our Support and Information Line on 0808 800 0004 or via our website - https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org.”

According to The Brain Tumour Charity, meningiomas are relatively common, accounting for 27 percent of all brain tumours diagnosed.

Symptoms can include headaches, vision changes, hearing loss, and more. Treatment often depends on the grade and behaviour of the tumour, but can range from active monitoring to surgery and radiotherapy.