Stephanie Hilliard, a mother of four from Axbridge, Somerset, faced a terrifying ordeal when her hearing loss and other symptoms were mistakenly dismissed as tinnitus. As her balance worsened and facial numbness set in during her seventh month of pregnancy, Stephanie sought a second opinion, leading to an MRI scan that revealed a slow-growing benign meningioma in her brain. This tumour had silently developed since her late teens, presenting risks despite being non-cancerous.
“When I was told I had a brain tumour, I was in complete shock,” Stephanie shared. “I was heavily pregnant and had three children at home who needed me. My immediate concern was for my baby and whether I would be able to watch my children grow up. It was the most frightening time of my life.”
Faced with such a diagnosis, Stephanie underwent brain surgery, a procedure fraught with risks including potential permanent loss of hearing, sight, mobility, or even death. After giving birth to her daughter Lily, she proceeded with the operation. Due to the tumour’s sensitive location, surgeons were only able to remove 60% to avoid severe complications.
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Recovery was challenging — Stephanie had to relearn basic tasks like eating, drinking, and dressing, all while caring for her newborn and family. By 2017, the tumour began to grow again despite additional radiotherapy treatments. Today, Stephanie lives with ongoing challenges including balance problems, fatigue, and other hidden disabilities that have forced her to stop working and become a full-time carer for her daughter.
“Living with a brain tumour means living with constant uncertainty,” she said. “The fear of what might come never truly goes away.”
Determined to make a difference, Stephanie is participating in a 10,000 steps per day walking challenge throughout February to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research. “Fundraising is absolutely vital because without it, research can’t continue,” she explained. “Walking keeps me positive, focused, and reminds me that I am contributing to a cause that affects not just me, but families everywhere.”
Letty Greenfield, Community Fundraising Manager at Brain Tumour Research, highlighted the impact of Stephanie’s story: “It shows how devastating a brain tumour diagnosis is not only for the individual but for their entire family. Supporters like Stephanie are essential to advancing research and finding kinder treatments and, ultimately, a cure.”