A pregnant British woman has revealed that her hearing loss was “dismissed” as tinnitus – but it was actually a brain tumour.
Stephanie Hilliard had also experienced balance issues as well as facial numbness.
As her condition only worsened, she sought out a second opinion; especially as she was seven months along at the time.
READ MORE: Mum devastated by family photo after piling on weight sheds 7st WITHOUT jabs
She went for an MRI scan which revealed a slow-growing benign meningioma, which medics believed had been there since her late teens.
Even though it wasn’t cancer, the diagnosis still posed a series of risks.
“When I was told I had a brain tumour, I was in complete shock,” the mum-of-four, from Axbridge, Somerset, told Need To Know.
“I was heavily pregnant [at the time] and had three children at home who needed me.
“My first thought wasn’t about myself, it was about them.
“I was terrified of what the diagnosis meant for my baby and whether I would be there for my children as they grew up.
“It was the most frightening time of my life.”
Stephanie was “forced” to undergo brain surgery, which came with a series of caveats.
Although it would potentially clear the tumour, it could cause permanent loss of hearing, sight, mobility and even death.
She gave birth to her daughter, Lily, and went ahead with the procedure.
Due to the location of the tumour, surgeons were only able to remove 60% of it to avoid life-altering damage.
And her recovery wasn’t an easy task, either.
She had to relearn to eat, drink and dress all while caring for her family and newborn.
Around four years after the ordeal in 2013, it was found that the tumour had started to grow again.
Despite further radiotherapy, Stephanie still lives with the brain tumour and its associated impacts.
Each day, she battles with balance issues, fatigue and other “hidden disabilities”.
It’s also meant that she’s had to give up work for good and is now a full-time carer for her daughter.
The 50-year-old said: “Living with a brain tumour means living with constant uncertainty.
“You never know what’s around the corner, and that fear never really goes away.”
To help raise funds for vital research, she’s taking on the challenge to walk 10,000 steps each day throughout February for Brain Tumour Research.
She added: “I’m taking on the 10,000 Steps A Day challenge because fundraising is absolutely vital.
“Without it, research simply can’t continue.
“Walking helps me stay positive, focused, and reminds me that I’m doing something meaningful, not just for myself, but for my children and for everyone affected by brain tumours.”
Letty Greenfield, Community Fundraising Manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Stephanie’s story highlights just how devastating a brain tumour diagnosis can be, not only for the individual, but for their entire family.
“Supporters like Stephanie are crucial in helping us fund research to find kinder treatments and better outcomes for all those affected by this disease, and getting us closer to the day when a cure is found.”
READ MORE: ‘I was left with HALF my body burned after getting trapped in a car blaze’
