When Wolverhampton dad-of-two Kevin Pemberton, 41, began suffering from sinus problems, he never imagined a brain tumour was the root cause of his symptoms. Having faced debulking surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy since his diagnosis in April 2019, Kevin is now back at work as a management accountant. While coming to terms with the fact his illness is incurable, Kevin is trying to keep life as normal as possible for his wife Michelle and their two daughters, 14-year-old Jasmine and Sofia, nine.
Here is Kevin’s story…
My brain tumour is both a blessing and a curse. While the past few years have been filled with hospital appointments and gruelling treatment, I appreciate my life so much more. At the age of 41, living with such a serious illness is a roller-coaster journey I never imagined I’d have to take.
I cannot thank my wife and our daughters enough for the support they have shown me. They have been amazing throughout such an uncertain time, and they have an unwavering strength. My friends, colleagues and parents have also helped me through the darkest of moments to fight back and live my life the best way I possibly can.
We were enjoying a normal family life and I was working as a management accountant when I started suffering from blocked sinuses. I was prescribed a nasal decongestant which didn’t alleviate my symptoms and after several trips to my GP, I was sent for an MRI scan at New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton.
A few days after the scan, a consultant phoned me to say that there was an ‘abnormal lesion’ on my brain. I was shocked at how blasé he was over the phone but could never have imagined the news that was to follow. Two weeks later, I was told that the lesion was in fact a brain tumour and I needed debulking surgery.
My operation was booked in for April 2019 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QE) in Birmingham. It lasted for almost five hours and I was surprised at how quick my recovery was. By the next day, I was back home and I owe my life to the excellent neurosurgeons at the QE.
Sadly, in a follow-up appointment after the operation, I was told that my tumour was in fact an incurable grade 3 anaplastic astrocytoma. This came as a huge shock as the doctors had thought that my tumour was low-grade. I was flabbergasted and couldn’t process the fact that there was no cure for my illness.
“My world fell apart and when I returned home I had a panic attack. I couldn’t understand why this was happening to me.”
I started a six-week course of radiotherapy on 19 May and it was daunting to be fitted with a face mask, a stark reminder of how serious my condition was. I felt very fatigued and the hardest part was losing my hair. Chemotherapy wasn’t so bad; I took the tablets one hour before my radiotherapy appointments..jpg?sfvrsn=f78c8501_3)
My operation was booked in for April 2019 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QE) in Birmingham. It lasted for almost five hours and I was surprised at how quick my recovery was. By the next day, I was back home and I owe my life to the excellent neurosurgeons at the QE.
Sadly, in a follow-up appointment after the operation, I was told that my tumour was in fact an incurable grade 3 anaplastic astrocytoma. This came as a huge shock as the doctors had thought that my tumour was low-grade. I was flabbergasted and couldn’t process the fact that there was no cure for my illness.
“My world fell apart and when I returned home I had a panic attack. I couldn’t understand why this was happening to me.”
I started a six-week course of radiotherapy on 19 May and it was daunting to be fitted with a face mask, a stark reminder of how serious my condition was. I felt very fatigued and the hardest part was losing my hair. Chemotherapy wasn’t so bad; I took the tablets one hour before my radiotherapy appointments.
In June 2020 I finished 12 cycles of maintenance chemotherapy which again was tablet form. I had worked out this time that if I took the tablets at night, I could sleep off the horrible side effects. By cycle 11 the tablets were taking their toll on my body and mind.
“Even the thought of taking the tablets made me heave.”
My diagnosis has changed me. I can be short fused in certain situations which I think is a combination of the brain tumour and my outlook on life – a lower tolerance for things that are trivial.
Going back to work in July 2019 was a good distraction. It helped me feel normal. Michelle struggled with my diagnosis, always thinking of the what ifs and worst-case scenario. After trying therapy, which didn’t work, we found that fundraising as a family was the outlet we needed to deal with what was happening.
We have been, and are continuously, honest with the girls who were 10 and five at the time I was diagnosed. They talk to Michelle and me when they need to and don’t bottle things up. Fundraising has really helped us with that.
Although the mass was removed, it can still grow back and I have six-monthly scans which will move to annual if the next one in June shows no changes.
I have an incredible wife and two beautiful young daughters. I want to enjoy my life with them for many years to come and I want to see my girls grow up. I’ve started to embrace my brain tumour journey instead of living in fear of it and I hope that in sharing my story I raise awareness of this horrendous disease.
Over the last four years we have raised almost £10,000 Our aim is for the total to grow to ensure we find better treatment options, and eventually a cure, so no one else has to experience what we have as a family.
Kevin Pemberton
February 2023
Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age. What’s more, they kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer... yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.
Brain Tumour Research is determined to change this.
If you have been inspired by Kevin’s story, you may like to make a donation via www.braintumourresearch.org/donation/donate-now or leave a gift in your will via www.braintumourresearch.org/legacy
Together we will find a cure.