David Bicker-Caarten, 58, died just nine days after being diagnosed with a glioblastoma in October 2023. The dad of three had only recently begun his role as headteacher at Lucton School in Ashford, Shropshire where he’d taught for over a decade when he started having neck pain, tingling in his arm, and pins and needles. David’s wife, Clare, and children Paige, 25, Mary, 23, and Guy, 21, completed the TCS London Marathon in April, raising over £30,000 for Brain Tumour Research.
Here is David’s story as told by his wife, Clare...
It was the beginning of summer, June 2023, a happy and exciting time for all the family. David had just received the headship at Lucton School in Herefordshire where he had been working at for 10 years, and we all felt extremely proud.
Around this time, David began experiencing discomfort in his neck, tingling in his fingers, and pins and needles down his left arm. The symptoms were subtle but concerning. Sensing that something was amiss, I encouraged him to see the doctor which he did.
On July 8ᵗʰ, David visited his GP but there wasn't a doctor available, so he was seen by a nurse practitioner who prescribed naproxen and sent him home. It didn't sit well with me so, unconvinced by the diagnosis, I called the doctors and insisted on a second opinion. A week later, on July 15ᵗʰ, David saw a different doctor who referred him for an MRI scan.
We received no communication about the referral, and upon inquiring I discovered that the doctor had gone on holiday and forgotten to process it. This oversight marked the beginning of a series of delays and miscommunications that plagued David's journey.
David finally underwent an MRI at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on 26ᵗʰ July. A few days later his condition had worsened significantly. I took him to A&E at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, where he endured a 55-hour wait before being seen by a doctor who informed us that David should have been referred to a neurologist immediately.
David was admitted to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital for 10 days, during which another MRI scan revealed a lesion on his brain. However, the medical team did not provide a clear diagnosis, mentioning only the possibility of a cyst or infection, potentially related to a recent trip to China. They conducted lumbar punctures and various tests, but the process was slow and unclear.
On August 1ˢᵗ, David was given an urgent referral to the Neurology Department at Royal Stoke University Hospital. He was prescribed steroids to reduce inflammation, but his balance deteriorated, and he was sent home on 10th August with no definitive diagnosis.
After receiving no communication from Royal Stoke University Hospital, I contacted Royal Shrewsbury Hospital for an update and was told that all of David's notes had been sent to Stoke, and they could not assist further. Upon contacting Stoke Hospital, they were informed that David was not yet on their records and were advised to wait.
I was becoming frustrated and disappointed with the run around, David was deteriorating, and I felt helpless.
By 30ᵗʰ August, David's condition had deteriorated to the point where he could only find relief by lying flat on his back. I took matters into my own hands and drove him 2.5 hours to Royal Stoke University Hospital, where he was admitted immediately with what was diagnosed as liver failure, a result of both his neurological condition and the steroids he had been prescribed.
Despite being in a critical state, David remained under the care of gastroenterologists for a month, with no neurologist visiting him. I desperately sought help from Macmillan nurses and even our children went up to the neurological department pleading for someone to visit their dad on the other ward, but no neurologist came to see David. No one helped us.
On 13ᵗʰ September, a doctor informed us they were planning to perform a biopsy the following day. This gave us a glimmer of hope, and we finally started to feel that someone was listening. However, when David was taken to the operating theatre and put under anaesthetic, the procedure was cancelled because the scan was not recent enough. The next morning, a further MRI revealed that the lesion was actually four tumours, but we had still not been informed nor given the diagnosis.
David underwent a second biopsy attempt on 25ᵗʰ September, and we were told we would be contacted with the results. David was discharged on 27ᵗʰ September without any prescribed painkillers.
Still unaware that tumours had been found, we received an appointment to return to Stoke to discuss the scan and biopsy results. On 5ᵗʰ October, we were told David had a glioblastoma an aggressive, inoperable and untreatable tumour. He was given just six months to live.
I was furious that all the efforts we made for David to be seen, assessed and to be told what was going on fell to the wayside.
On 11ᵗʰ October, David was referred to an oncologist in Birmingham. During the appointment, the oncologist showed us the scans, and the severity of the situation became clear. I could see that David just shut down.
The drive home was awful. I think it was the first time we both realised David was going to die. We were just in shock and knew the children were waiting for answers, we tried to discuss how we were going to tell them. There were just no words.
David died at home surrounded by his family on 14ᵗʰ October, just nine days after receiving the terminal diagnosis. On reflection of the whole ordeal, the profound impact of the delays and lack of communication made everything worse.
We were robbed, not just of David, but of time. Time to understand, time to fight, time to say goodbye properly. No one should ever have to experience that.
There was no time for experimental treatment, no palliative planning, and no psychological preparation. For his children who were just entering adult life it was a trauma no family should endure.
No one should ever have to experience that. Looking back, I can now see subtle signs like his changes in taste and an unusual craving for sweets. I believe that diet and early symptom awareness for greater public education and medical research is needed.
Since David’s death we have become advocates for brain tumour awareness. On 27ᵗʰ April we ran the London Marathon as a family. So far, we have raised over £30,000 enough to fund 10 critical days of research that could one day prevent another family’s heartbreak.
I completed the course in five hours and 42 minutes. The support was amazing, people were calling my name which made a huge difference especially when it became difficult. I am so proud of the kids, they did amazing. Reaching the halfway mark felt good, it made me realise that I could do it. Mile 16 was very difficult and the last six miles I put my music on and listened to songs that David and I used to enjoy; the memories and sadness pushed me forward. But seeing the finish line was a relief, it felt lovely, people kept saying “you’re nearly there” but it felt miles away! David would have thought we were completely bonkers! He would be really proud of us all, I’m proud of myself, can't believe I've done it! Every mile was for David, and for the families still searching for answers, for hope, and for time that we never got.
We ran because David couldn't. We raised money so another family doesn’t get lost in the cracks. We will continue to share David’s story to highlight the critical gaps in early diagnosis and the need for more vital brain tumour research funding.
Clare Bicker-Caarten
May 2025
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 touched by David’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.