Our story

In 2009, Lyndsey attended a routine contact lens check-up. Whilst she was there, she asked for an eye test as she had been suffering badly from headaches and blurred vision. After much persuasion, the opticians performed the test. As a result of this eye test she was rushed to Manchester Eye Hospital with suspected papilledema (optic disc swelling which causes pressure on the back of the eye).

A week later Lyndsey had been diagnosed with a brain tumour called an oligoastrocytoma, stage 1. They operated straight away, managed to remove everything, and the outcome was good. Routine scans throughout the next 9 months all looked good, but then a year to the date, we were called back for the results of her fourth scan to be told the tumour had come back more aggressively, and had developed into a glioblastoma, stage 2. Another operation was planned with aggressive chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Things were looking up and in December 2011 we were given the news that Lyndsey’s tumour had gone. We were ecstatic and things started to look good again.

On Easter weekend of 2012, the symptoms of Lyndsey’s tumour started to reappear. We made the decision to go to the hospital for tests. The results were not good, the tumour was now at stage 4 and this time there was nothing they could do. Any operation would affect Lyndsey’s standard of living and any treatments would now be palliative. We were devastated.

During the early stages of Lyndsey’s illness, we had raised tens of thousands of pounds for brain tumour research as an umbrella charity for them called “Purple Heart Brain Tumour Fund” in the hope that a cure would come. As a result of Lyndsey’s diagnosis, we switched our fundraising to ensure Lyndsey had the chance to do everything she may want to do in her lifetime, as her greatest wish was to travel to Thailand and Vietnam. We raised a lot of money to fulfil that wish. Her doctors advised against that trip and told us she may never return but she did and she survived another 18 months after that.

During those 18 months, every day was filled with laughter, love, and excitement with her family and friends. We tried to do as much as possible to ensure she had the best days of her short life.