Vanessa Rudden (pictured left above) died aged 44 from a brain tumour, but initially she was told she had schizophrenia after experiencing unexplained symptoms such as hallucinations and paranoia in her late 20s.
It wasn’t until the final year of her life that a seizure led to an MRI scan and a glioblastoma (GBM) the size of a golf ball, thought now to be the real cause of her symptoms, was found in her left temporal lobe.
Over the years, Vanessa’s symptoms had worsened and led to multiple hospital stays with her being sectioned under the Mental Health Act, after she staged a hunger strike in protest of her treatment.
We are grateful to Vanessa’s sister Georgina Doherty (pictured far right above, with brother Ryan left, Vanessa and Georgina’s husband Paul), who is working with the Charity to advocate for better research into brain tumours and greater awareness.
She said: “Vanessa was the life and soul of the party. She loved being around people, sharing her incredible talent for music [see Vanessa below with her band Skidoo], and was driven in her career.
“If only the scan had been done earlier, Vanessa might still be here. She even said she felt like there was a worm in her brain, but doctors dismissed it, calling her mentally ill.”
After the tumour was detected, Vanessa had a debulking operation to remove most of it, but doctors broke the news that she had just months to live. Georgina lost her sister 10 months after her diagnosis in 2018.
To help fund research and bring us closer to a cure for all types of brain tumour, please donate to our Christmas Appeal.
Related reading:
- My sister was sectioned by doctors who thought she was schizophrenic but by the time we found out what the problem really was it was too late - MailOnline
- What is a glioblastoma (GBM)?
Published Wednesday 18th December 2024.