Sophie Reid was just going about her day at work when everything suddenly changed. One moment she was laughing with colleagues, the next she collapsed, unable to speak, and stopped breathing. The 37-year-old mum-of-four had suffered a seizure, and after briefly losing consciousness, she was rushed to the hospital. But instead of a thorough investigation, Sophie says doctors put it down to stress and sent her home.
Something didn’t sit right with her, though. Trusting her gut, she went to her GP, who was stunned no scan had been done. A private scan, costing £30, revealed something much worse than anyone expected – a 4.8cm cancerous brain tumour. Sophie was told it was incurable, and even with treatment, she’s unlikely to live beyond the next 10 years, reported the Mirror.
“I didn’t know what was going on, and I genuinely felt like I was dying,” Sophie said. “I thought I was having a stroke – it was absolutely terrifying – because nothing verbally was working.”
Her diagnosis shook her to the core. Looking back, Sophie realised there had been subtle signs – moments of unsteadiness, a feeling that something wasn’t quite right. But like many mums juggling family life, she chalked it up to stress and grief after a recent loss.
The news meant an urgent MRI in Southampton and more devastating information: the tumour was growing quickly. With NHS waits stretching to 18 months, Sophie used her husband Jordan’s private health insurance to speed things up. The couple spent £22,000 on a craniotomy, which removed 90% of the tumour. But the biopsy confirmed their worst fear – the tumour was incurable.
“As a mum, I kept thinking about how I’d protect my kids from all of this,” said Sophie, whose children are aged between 11 and 15. “They’re my strength in all of this and keep me going.”
Now preparing for a year of chemotherapy, Sophie’s focusing on making memories while facing the reality of being unable to work and struggling financially. The cost of living in Jersey has made things even harder, and a JustGiving page has raised over £6,400 to help ease the burden.
“The salon is quite a triggering place now. I’ve got issues with noise and processing words,” she said. “It’s physically draining worrying about becoming homeless or not feeding your kids. But I’m coping. I’m living in the moment, holding onto hope.”
Sophie hopes sharing her story encourages others to push for answers, no matter how small their symptoms seem. “It’s okay to advocate for yourself,” she said. “Time can be the difference between life and death.”
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