Kimberley Baggley, from Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, originally thought little of a migraine that saw her sent home from work.
Little did she know this was the first sign she had a potentially deadly brain tumour.
The 27-year-old only became concerned started to experience ‘pins and needles’ in the left side of her face later that day, and she rushed to A&E. However, she claims she was sent away with painkillers.
Four additional visits over the course of week complaining of the same sensation also saw her dismissed, she said.
Then things took a dramatic turn when her husband returned home, after taking their son swimming, to discover the primary school teacher unconscious in bed having had a seizure.
Kimberley Baggley, from Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, originally thought little of a migraine that saw her sent home from work
But when the 27-year-old started to experience ‘pins and needles’ in the left side of her face later that day, she rushed to A&E, where she claims she was sent away with painkillers. Pictured, Kimberley with her husband, Luke Baggley, 28 and son George
Blue-lighted back to hospital, scans revealed she had astrocytoma — an aggressive brain tumour that hits around 4,500 Britons every year.
Despite surgery and 33 rounds of radiotherapy, she is still currently undergoing chemotherapy to tackle the grade three tumour.
Recalling her terrifying ordeal, Mrs Baggley said: ‘You never think something like this is going to happen to you, but when it does, your whole world revolves around something that you know nothing about — it’s terrifying.
‘Your life stops when you’re diagnosed with a brain tumour.
‘There is so much unknown ahead of you, and a long process that puts other parts of your life on hold.
‘In that moment, your whole world crashes down.
‘My husband was terrified as he didn’t know what was going to happen.’
Astrocytomas are one of the most common forms of brain tumours, making up around a third of all UK cases of this cancer.
They grow from the specific cells, called astrocytes, which protect nerves and are vital for processing information.
Experts still don’t know what exactly causes astocytoma to develop though scientists suspect it may have a genetic link.
Common symptoms include headaches, difficulty speaking, changes in vision like seeing double or blurriness, as well as seizures and muddled thoughts and memory problems.
Astrocytomas are graded from one to four, depending on their severity and how they respond to treatment with three and four considered high grade.
Only about a quarter of Brits diagnosed with a high grade astrocytoma live for five years or more, according to The Brain Tumour Charity.
After suffering a seizure at home, Mrs Baggley had another while being blue-lighted to Royal Stoke University Hospital.
Despite surgery and 33 rounds of radiotherapy, she is still currently undergoing chemotherapy to tackle the grade three tumour
After suffering a seizure at home, Mrs Baggley had another while being blue-lighted to Royal Stoke University Hospital
Medics then undertook surgery and removed 95 per cent of the tumour, which was sent for analysis to determine what type of cancer it was.
Mrs Baggley said: ‘I remember my consultant said that it wasn’t the worst but it wasn’t the best tumour to get and that put me at ease.
‘I was quite naïve when I first got diagnosed as I am such a positive person and always try to make the best out of a situation.
‘I thought I would have the operation and that would be it.’
A month after her first surgery, however, an infection meant she had to have another operation to remove part of her skull.
She has also since battled sepsis, which delayed the start of her cancer treatment.
‘The person that my diagnosis has affected the most is my husband,’ Mrs Baggley said.
‘He has had to carry on going to work whilst trying to look after me and our son.
‘He has taken on two roles and been mum and dad for the past year.
A month after her first surgery, however, an infection meant she had to have another to remove part of her skull
She has also since battled sepsis, which delayed the start of treatment. Pictured, Mrs Baggley’s brain scan showing the tumour (light blue)
‘My little lad found it tough at first, one day he came out with “mum are you going to die?” which was tough to hear.
‘It has affected them and my wider family, to watch someone you love go through something this awful must be terrifying for them too.’
She added: ‘It’s time things changed, for me and everyone else living with a brain tumour. That’s why research into more effective treatments is so urgently needed.’
Since her diagnosis, Mrs Baggley has abseiled down Anfield Stadium to raise £7000 for The Brain Tumour Charity and started a support group in Stoke-on-Trent to help other people diagnosed with cancer.
Dr Simon Newman, chief scientific officer at The Brain Tumour Charity, which helps fund research into possible treatments, said: ‘High-grade brain tumours are some of the most devastating brain tumours and current treatments are just not good enough.
‘We hope that by understanding the immune system and how it responds to brain tumours, we can improve immunotherapy treatment options and make the same progress in brain tumours that we have seen in other cancers.’
