A mum has revealed that she’s been given less than 10 years to live as a sudden seizure turned out to be an incurable cancerous brain tumour.
Sophie Reid was left “utterly horrified” when she suddenly collapsed at work and tried to call for help, but no words were coming out.
The 37-year-old thought she was dying.
She then fell unconscious for five minutes and also stopped breathing, as her colleagues called for an ambulance.
Two weeks later, a brain tumour measuring 4.8cm – the same size as a small lime – was found.
Now, it’s estimated she has less than 10 years left to live – even with treatment – as it’s incurable.
“I didn’t know what was going on and I genuinely felt like I was dying,” the hairstylist, from Jersey, told Need To Know.
“I thought I was having a stroke – it was absolutely terrifying – because nothing verbally was working.
“I had been doing a client’s hair and went over to grab some products.
“My colleagues and I were making each other laugh, but then I collapsed on the floor and stared blankly at the ceiling.
“I tried as hard as I could to ask what I was doing and tell them something was wrong, but no words were coming out.”
Sophie was rushed to the hospital and tests were carried out to determine the cause; though she claims doctors “dismissed” it as stress and sent her home.
She had a gut feeling something worse was going on and so visited her local GP, who was “shocked” to learn no scan was offered, and so referred her for one.
Since the referral came from her doctor rather than the emergency department, though, she had to pay £30 to have the scan carried out in October 2024.
It was confirmed she had lesions on the brain, which were cancerous.
Sophie said, “I was completely shocked.
“I started to think back on the last few weeks and realised there had been signs I wasn’t quite right.
“My friends and family had said they noticed I looked a bit off balance.
“And I’d recently suffered a loss, so I put it all down to grief.
“When I saw the results confirming a brain tumour, I froze.
“It never even crossed my mind, as other than a few wobbly walks, I felt fine.”
She was swiftly taken in an air ambulance to Southampton Hospital to undergo an MRI.
The mum-of-four to Kyla, 12 and Alex, 11, as well as step kids Connor, 15 and Joseph, 12, said: “I was petrified and devastated.
“All I could think about was how I was going to tell my children – and if I would be around to see them grow up.
“But the next morning, I was told to carry on with life as normal until I could have a biopsy.
“I didn’t know how long that would take, and my life was hanging in the balance.”
Sophie decided to go private using her husband, Jordan, 41,’s insurance.
Another MRI confirmed the tumour had “quickly grown” and that it was a matter of urgency to get it removed.
There was up to an 18-month wait for this, though.
Carrying on the private route, she spent £22,000 on a craniotomy which removed 90% of the tumour; though the results indicated it was incurable and her aforementioned life expectancy was limited.
She said, “Finding out the full extent of my brain tumour was devastating.
“As a mum, I kept thinking about how I’d protect my kids from all of this.
“They’re still so little.
“It wasn’t just fear – it was heartbreak.
“I grieved the normal life we once had.
“At the same time, though, everything became more precious; every cuddle, laugh and moment.
“They’re my strength in all of this and keep me going.”
Now, she’s due to start chemotherapy for a year, which will hopefully delay her progress – and give her more time with her family.
But the financial toll of being off work has significantly impacted the family.
To raise funds, they’ve set up a JustGiving page, with £6,424 out of £9,000 donated so far.
Sophie hopes sharing her story will urge people to push for answers before it’s too late, and to raise awareness for brain tumour awareness research funding.
She added, “The salon is quite a triggering place now.
“I also have issues with processing words and being in busy, crowded places with lots of noise.
“It’s had such a massive impact on my family, especially the children.
“I can’t imagine how it must feel being told that your mum is dying.
“The cost of living here is incredibly high, and while we’ve had some support from a local charity, this only covered a few months.
“I’m struggling to keep on top of everything.
“It’s physically draining worrying about potentially becoming homeless and not being able to feed your kids.
“But I’m coping quite well despite everything.
“I’m focusing on today, making memories with my kids and holding onto hope.
“Each day I’m here is a gift.
“I can’t help but wonder how different things might be [if the scan had been carried out in the first instance].
“There’s definitely anger, sadness and a deep sense of what if.
“But I know staying in that place won’t help me heal.
“After the initial shock, all I can do is spread my story and support others going through cancer.
“It’s okay to advocate for yourself and to know you’re not alone.
“And push for answers, as time plays such a big factor between life and death.”
Simon West, medical director for Health and Care Jersey, said: “While I’m unable to comment on individual patients or the care that they receive from Health and Care Jersey, I appreciate that it must be a deeply worrying and upsetting time for a patient and their family when they learn that they have a brain tumour.
“I would like to reassure Islanders that Health and Care Jersey has medical pathways in place to provide patients with good evidence-based care and that appropriate scans and treatments are available free of charge for eligible Jersey residents.
“I, along with the Minister for Health and Social Services, have met with Ms Reid to listen to her concerns.
“Learning about patient experiences is invaluable in helping us to improve services.
“As a department, we are committed to continuously working to improve the delivery of care to Jersey residents and visitors.”
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