A father from North Somerset lost all memory of his wife, daughter and his own name after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour – which doctors had misdiagnosed as vertigo.
Marcus Williams, 35, from Yatton, was living with his wife, Laura, 31, and daughter, Lola, five, when he began experiencing fatigue, intense headaches and seizures. As his symptoms got worse, doctors repeatedly misdiagnosed him with vertigo and refused further examinations – until a scan finally revealed a cancerous glioblastoma.
Laura said: “I was shocked when the GP surgery texted me saying there was nothing more they could do. Even the paramedics downplayed his symptoms, suggesting his projectile vomiting could be due to a blocked ear or even mental health issues.
“I couldn’t understand how so many medical professionals, people we are meant to trust with our lives, were so dismissive and treated us like time-wasters.
“Marcus started losing his speech and memory. He didn’t even recognise our little girl, the person he cherishes most. It wasn’t until I confronted a doctor at A&E and demanded a CT scan that they finally found the large tumour. That was when I was told he only had hours to live and needed emergency surgery.”
The surgery lasted 12 hours and successfully removed 98% of the tumour, but Marcus remained in intensive care for five days. Doctors warned Laura to expect memory loss and speech difficulties.
Determined to help, the family brought in photos and Marcus’s favourite snacks to help jog his memory. Marcus eventually recovered and began recalling memories as usual, before being discharged.
Now, nearing the end of six weeks of treatment, Marcus remains bedbound but enjoys reading and colouring with Lola, holding on to the hope that they will soon be able to return to pillow fights and living-room-floor gymnastics together.
Determined to find positivity in the situation, Laura is now fundraising for Brain Tumour Research. She is taking on our 10,000 Steps a Day in February challenge, in which participants commit to completing 10,000 steps every day for a month, along with her best friend, Steph, and Marcus’s aunt, Wendy.
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Related reading:
- How you can help find a cure
- Brain tumour patient marks 10 years with 10,000 Steps a Day in February
Published Thursday 20ᵗʰ February 2025.