Stephanie Hillard, 50, from Somerset is a devoted mother of four and a carer, both professionally and at home. Her life changed dramatically after unexplained symptoms led to the discovery of a slow-growing meningioma during pregnancy.
Stephanie tells her story…
It all began with a loss of hearing in 2012. I didn’t go to my doctor straight away, you tend to adapt to things but it gradually got worse. When I finally went, I was told I had water in my ear.
As time went on, I developed a ringing in my ears and went back to the doctor, who said it was tinnitus. Again, time passed, and in 2013 I was pregnant with our daughter, Lilly.
My symptoms weren’t improving, and while working as a carer I started getting pins and needles down one side of my face, along with a strange water-like sensation in my head.
My doctor sent me for a hearing test and referred me to Musgrove Hospital for an MRI scan. By then I was heavily pregnant, so they had to make sure it was safe for me to have the scan.
I had the MRI and went home. I didn’t hear anything for six weeks and assumed no news was good news, so I carried on as normal. But I was wrong.
One day I was walking upstairs, lost my balance, and fell. Being heavily pregnant, I was terrified for my baby. I went to hospital for an ultrasound scan and thankfully Lilly, now 12, was fine, but I still didn’t know what was wrong with me.
Then one day, while I was out having a coffee with a friend, I received a call from the hospital. They told me I had swelling on the brain – a benign, slow-growing meningioma that they believed I may have had since I was around 18 years old. I was now 50.
I felt shocked and angry that it had taken so long to receive my results. My thoughts immediately went to my unborn baby. What did this mean for my pregnancy?
Doctors explained that I would need surgery to remove the tumour. They also explained the risks – possible loss of hearing, sight and mobility, and even death. I had a newborn on the way and three other children: Reece, who was 18, and Travis and Troy, who were 12 at the time. All I could think was: how do I explain this to my children? I was horrified.
Because I was in the final trimester of my pregnancy, surgeons advised waiting until Lilly was born before operating. It was an awful time. I felt constantly anxious and started googling brain tumours and swelling on the brain which was the worst thing I could have done.
Lilly was born perfectly healthy in July 2013, and in March 2014 I returned to Musgrove Hospital for surgery. First, surgeons drilled a hole in my skull, and then we had to wait 24 hours before the main operation. During that surgery, they removed part of the tumour. Due to its location, they were only able to remove about 60%.
I was grateful they didn’t risk removing more. I had three children and a newborn I needed to go home to.
After surgery, I had to relearn everything, how to eat, drink, and dress. It wasn’t easy, especially with a baby who depended on me.
Having children made recovery harder. There are days when you want to stay in bed, but you can’t, your children rely on you.
In 2017, during a routine MRI scan, I was devastated to learn that the tumour had started to grow again. The fear returned immediately.
The thought of more surgery and the impact on my children was overwhelming. This time, instead of surgery, doctors recommended radiotherapy. It was hard going, but eventually things settled.
Over time, I began to feel unwell again. At first it happened once a month, then every seven to 10 days. During these episodes, I would lose my balance and start vomiting. I was filled with dread, constantly waiting for it to happen. There was no pattern. I never knew when it would strike.
Medication has now stopped these episodes, and I attend routine scans to monitor my tumour.
I am taking on the 10,000 Steps A Day in February challenge for Brain Tumour Research again this year, something I’ve done every year for the past four years. It’s my way of supporting vital research. Walking helps me stay focused and positive too.
A brain tumour is invisible, and people often forget it’s an unseen disability. I still have balance issues, the nerves in my face have been affected, and I get tired easily, but I’ve learned to live with it and remind myself that I will get through it. Everyone’s journey is different.
I haven’t been able to return to work because of my balance issues, and I am now a full-time carer for my daughter, who has a disability. Life is different, but I keep going – for my children, and for myself.
Stephanie Hillard
February 2026
One in three people in the UK knows someone affected by a brain tumour. This disease is indiscriminate; it can affect anyone at any age. What’s more, brain tumours continue to kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet, to date, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.
Brain Tumour Research is determined to change this.
If you have been inspired by Stephanie’s story, you may like to make a donation via www.braintumourresearch.org/donate or leave a gift in your will via www.braintumourresearch.org/legacy
Together we will find a cure
