A man who began to struggle reading his text messages has been given a devastating diagnosis.
Dylan Bearns was on holiday in Tunisia with his fiancée, Hayley Redfern, 37, when he began to have headaches. The 39-year-old, from Parr, said that while the headaches were painful they were irregular, and wore off after a few days.
He also began to struggle reading his text messages, but as he wears glasses he again dismissed the symptoms. But that changed when the couple returned home, and Dylan went to A&E at Whiston Hospital.
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There he had a CT scan that discovered a large mass, which doctors presumed to be a cyst. But an MRI scan later revealed it was a grade 4 astrocytoma – a type of brain cancer. Astrocytoma tumours often result in growing pressure inside the skull with symptoms including headaches, vomiting and mental status changes.
Hayley, herself a two-time cancer survivor from breast cancer and malignant melanoma, said her fiancé felt there was something seriously wrong despite the lack of pain. She told the ECHO: “The only thing he struggled with was reading text messages but we thought nothing of it. He wears glasses so we didn't think anything of it.
"His headaches weren't severe or constant and they wore off after a couple of days. But he said he felt there was something really wrong and I knew what feeling he was on about because when I felt the lumps on my breasts, I knew instantly something was wrong. It's just a weird feeling. Your body just tells you something is wrong.”
Dylan, who has been told he could have just 18 months left to live, had surgery to remove the tumour May 15. He is undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but due to its aggressive nature, doctors have warned the cancer is expected to return.
In spite of suggestions there is no cure for the tumour, Hayley said the couple are now seeking treatment abroad in Germany.
Hayley, from Sutton Leach, St Helens said: “To them, there's no cure. They don't even tell you about alternative therapies out there, they just let you find out for yourself. But because they froze some of his tumour, we can request some of it back and send it to Germany and they can make a vaccine.
“Somebody said they saw something like that in clinical trials on TV. It made me wonder why nothing is put out there. They just tell you that you'll die.”
Having known each other since high school, the couple rekindled their romance after a night out five years ago. The couple have since moved in and share their home with two Shih Tzus and two cats.
Dylan is undergoing treatment at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre where Hayley works. She said: “I make the chemotherapy drugs. So he's having radiotherapy on the floor beneath me where I'm working. We see each other all the time. Once he's finished he'll go and buy me dinner and we'll have dinner together. We are making the most of our time.”
Hayley continued: “I don't think it's sunk in. He is on these chemotherapy tablets and he's having radiotherapy every day but you wouldn't think there is anything wrong with him. If anything, his reading has gotten better.”
The couple hope to get married next year in a small ceremony as they await an update on Dylan's health.
They are currently raising money for Dylan to undergo ground-breaking treatment in Germany which is claimed to be a "Silver Bullet" for Brain Cancer.
They will be hosting a fundraiser on Sunday, July 30 at Clock Face Recreation Club on Crawford Street in hopes of raising enough money. To make a donation or read more about Dylan's fundraiser click here.
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