City lawyer Amy Wareham innocently assumed that the occasional headache was just a natural consequence of her demanding and stressful job.
But the actual cause of the 47-year-old’s pain was actually a fast-growing brain cancer that kills most people who have it within a year-and-a-half.
Mrs Wareham suffered no other symptoms apart from the headaches until she had a seizure, falling and hitting her face, while on a trip to New York in May last year.
Immediately rushed to hospital, scans revealed the London lawyer had two tumours on her brain.
Further tests revealed that Mrs Wareham had a difficult-to-treat type of cancer called glioblastoma multiforme and she went under the knife to remove it a month later.
Mrs Wareham suffered no other symptoms apart from the headaches until she had a seizure, falling and hitting her face, while on a trip to New York in May last year
Following the surgery to remove the tumour she also underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy in an attempt to kill any tiny remains of the cancer missed in the operation
The shock of her diagnosis also inspired Mrs Wareham to fundraise and set up a supporter group called The Amy Wareham Fund which has raised £90,000 for research into high grade brain tumours. Here she is pictured with her son
Following the surgery she also underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy in an attempt to kill any tiny remains of the cancer potentially missed in the operation.
Now coming to the end of the chemotherapy Mrs Wareham said: ‘At the moment, I am relatively very well. I have come a long way since my first and last seizure in May last year.
‘Then, I was very scared and had a whirlwind of appointments and scans. Now, things have calmed down and I am taking it day by day.’
Following her diagnosis and surgery, in August 2023 Mrs Wareham married now-husband, Bruce.
Instead of gifts asked for donations to be made to The Brain Tumour Charity.
The shock of her diagnosis also inspired her to fundraise and set up a supporter group called The Amy Wareham Fund which has raised £90,000 for research into high grade brain tumours.
Mrs Wareham said: ‘I have been awed and amazed at the very generous support from my family, friends and professional network.
‘I have organised a charity dinner and auction which several law firms came to from London, Luxembourg and Ireland.
‘A lawyer dedicated her Ironman to raising awareness and funds, my work team raised funds doing a walking marathon and my neighbour’s children organised a cake sale.
‘I have three people running half marathons or marathons for me. People have been so kind.’
After coming to terms with her glioblastoma diagnosis, Mrs Wareham said she was shocked to learn the limited treatment options available for the cancer.
She said: ‘When I discovered the dire lack of funding for research into brain tumours I was appalled.
Coming to her the end of her chemotherapy Mrs Wareham, pictured here with her mother, said she was taking it ‘day-by-day’
The Wanted star Tom Parker died in March 2022 following a year-and-a-half long battle with stage four glioblastoma brain cancer, aged just 33 (pictured in December 2021)
Former Labour politician Dame Tessa Jowell died after a battle with advanced glioblastoma brain cancer in 2018 (pictured in the House of Lords in 2018)
John McCain battled glioblastoma for 10 months – the most aggressive form of brain cancer (pictured here in 2007)
The disease also claimed the life of Beau Biden, the son of President Joe Biden. Pictured: Then US Vice President Biden alongside his Army captain son Beau in Baghdad in 2009
‘Research into more effective treatments is so urgently needed.
‘Before I was diagnosed with glioblastoma, I had never heard of it.
‘It is an understatement to say I was shocked at being told I have glioblastoma grade 4, and that it has an average 12 to 18 month prognosis.
‘I was very surprised that I hadn’t heard of it, it being the biggest cancer killer of under 40-year-olds, including children, and tenth biggest overall cancer killer.
‘That’s why I set up my own Fund with The Brain Tumour Charity. I immediately knew that I needed to raise money and awareness.’
Dr Simon Newman, chief scientific officer at The Brain Tumour Charity said: ‘Finding new ways to treat glioblastoma is essential if we are to accelerate a cure for this devastating disease.
‘We know that brain tumour treatment is difficult because drugs often cannot get into the brain to target the tumour cells.
‘So, by using new and innovative approaches to ensure that treatments reach the brain we are getting closer to finding more effective treatments.’
Glioblastoma is an aggressive type of brain cancer which affects 3,200 people across the UK each year.
They are the most common type of cancerous brain tumour in adults and have an extremely poor prognosis.
Only five per cent of patients, about one in 20, are alive five years after their diagnosis.
The Wanted star Tom Parker died in March 2022 following a year-and-a-half long battle with stage four glioblastoma brain cancer, aged just 33.
Former Labour politician Dame Tessa Jowell also died after a battle with advanced glioblastoma brain cancer in 2018.
