Fully trained carpenter and business-owner, David Webber, from Torbay, had a “larger than life” persona before his brain tumour diagnosis. Initial symptoms included months of headaches, dizzy spells, and what David described as out of body experiences. A scan in June 2019 revealed an extensive diffuse astrocytoma which had spread across a quarter of his brain.
He underwent surgery in November 2019, but although successful, David “was never the same” according to his daughter, Abigail, who is raising funds for the charity Brain Tumour Research.
She said: “As a person, he was smart, kind, funny, everything you could possibly wish for in a dad. He gave me the best childhood imaginable.
“After the surgery there were big personality changes, he became aggressive towards us sometimes, he had a very short temper and could never be reasoned with, no matter how bizarre the situation was.”
David began to suffer from focal seizures, which affects one side of the brain and body. He could have more than 100 a day, ranging from 30 seconds to 10 minutes at a time. The tumour also affected his taste buds, causing him to eat unusual meals, such as pasta with mint sauce and scrambled egg.
Abigail, 22, from Brixham, said: “By the beginning of 2022, we could see he wasn’t coping with his business, he was confused about almost everything, his mobility and coordination declined and even the ability to hold a stable conversation was out of the picture.
“The only way to describe it is severe dementia or toddler-like behaviour.”
In June 2022, David was given a prognosis of 18 months, however, his conditioned rapidly deteriorated even further. Over the coming months, the tumour spread to his hypothalamus, which regulates thirst and hunger. David lost his motor skills and struggled to drink or eat.
Healthcare assistant Abigail, who took charge of his care personally, said: “Although we were going through hell, he was always positive and clueless about it all. He didn’t even know he was poorly, even in the last week.”
David died in October 2022, surrounded by loved ones.
Since then, Abigail has supported Brain Tumour Research in its hunt for a cure, and on Saturday 28 September, she will be taking part in the charity’s Walk of Hope at Torpoint. The annual event sees supporters across the UK join walks or organise their own in their community to raise money to bring hope to brain tumour patients and their families.
Abigail said: “I want to raise money for Brain Tumour Research because, although it’s too late to help us, it isn’t too late to help any other family going through the same problem. More money means more research, which means potentially better treatment options.
“Although brain tumours aren’t as common as other cancers, they are just as lethal. The fact that only 1% of cancer research funding goes to brain tumour research is unbelievable, because the brain is so complex and difficult to understand, surely that requires a huge amount of research.”
Louise Aubrey, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Personality changes are unfortunately a common side effect of a brain tumour, which can be all the more heartbreaking for the individual’s loved ones.
“We are so grateful to Abigail for her ongoing support to help us find a cure for this devastating disease. The Walk of Hope is great way for us all, whether we have personal experiences of brain cancer or not, to join together in the face of this terrible adversity, and say, we will not be beaten.”
Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure. The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.
Find out more about the Walk of Hope at: braintumourresearch.org/pages/fundraise-walk-of-hope
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