Healthcare Worker Diagnosed with Brain Tumour After Hearing Imaginary Music

Emma Bond, a 33-year-old healthcare worker, experienced a perplexing symptom: she kept hearing music that wasn't there, with people's words turning into lyrics. Initially believed to be stress-related, a visit to Warrington Hospital's Accident and Emergency (A&E) would soon take a concerning turn. Despite being told she was just 'a bit stressed', further testing at St Helens Hospital revealed a grave diagnosis—a grade two glioma, a type of brain tumour.

Discovery of Brain Tumour

Emma, from Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, recalled the surreal experience of hearing unwarranted music and struggling to understand spoken words. This alarming sign prompted her to seek medical attention, which eventually led to the tumour's discovery in June 2019. Tragically, the necessary surgery to remove the tumour meant postponing her wedding, planned just a week later.

Surgery and Treatment

Surgeons successfully removed 95% of the tumour, leading to a stable prognosis for Emma. Her treatment continued with six weeks of radiotherapy and a year of chemotherapy at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre on The Wirral. The journey was rough, filled with sadness over the delayed wedding, yet Emma cherished the visiting wedding guests who showed their support during her ordeal.

Life After Treatment

Presently, Emma is on anti-seizure medication, as doctors determined that her auditory experiences stemmed from focal sensory auditory seizures. Since her operation, she has not heard the imaginary music. She has MRI scans every six months to monitor her condition, with the latest one in February showing stability.

A New Beginning

Fortunately, Emma and her partner, Edd Blake, were able to rearrange their wedding and finally tied the knot on 17 July 2021. Edd, alongside Emma's brother Jack, is preparing to run the TCS London Marathon in aid of Brain Tumour Research to raise funds for a cure.

Raising Awareness and Funds

Emma's story is a poignant reminder of the need for more research on brain tumours, which, despite being the leading cause of cancer death in children and adults under 40, receive a small fraction of national cancer research funding. Edd and Jack's efforts aim to contribute to the necessary change in funding and treatment options for brain tumour patients.

health, cancer, awareness