‘Nightmare’: Mom, 35, Diagnosed With Brain Tumor After Months of Headaches and Eye Swelling

“She absolutely loves going to work in the charity shop and spends her days chatting to all the customers who get to know her well,” Tara’s 33-year-old sister Jessica said.

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So, when symptoms like headaches, tiredness and swelling in her eye started to arrive a year ago, she did what most mothers do: Carry on.

“Tara’s symptoms started last year and only got really bad within the last four months,” Jessica explained.

Eventually, however, Tara tried to address her symptoms with trips to the doctor’s and optician’s offices. Sadly, these visits didn’t give her any answers, so she decided to go to the hospital for her bad “pressure headache.”

Resulting scans led to her devastating diagnosis.

“After her visit to [the hospital] on March 9, she was taken straight in for scans as doctors were worried in case her headache was an aneurism,” Jessica explained. “But scans actually showed she had quite a large brain tumor that doctors want to test for cancer.”

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Doctors have told Tara they might not be able to fully remove her tumor because it’s very close to her eye which has been causing the swelling. That means she might have to “live with it long term and cope with it through medication.”

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“She’s living a nightmare at the minute and is trying to shield her kids as much as possible so it doesn’t affect their mental health,” Jessica said.

“Jamil (Tara’s husband) has been an amazing support for her and the kids with taking them to school and taking Tara to hospital appointments, but it’s meant he’s had to take time away from work which has been difficult on the family financially.”

In order to help “the most selfless person [she’s] ever met,” Jessica and a member of Age UK have set up a fundraiser for Tara and her family.

“Tara is my rock,” Jessica said. “She’d help absolutely anyone with anything, so I want her to realize how loved she really is, and I hope she can feel the same love that she gives to others.

“She puts everyone above herself and never asks anything of everyone, so now it’s our turn to give something back and help her.”

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Feeling “so thankful” for all the donations that have come in so far, Tara took the time to write a thoughtful comment on the fundraising page.

“Unfortunately before my diagnoses we were like I know many families are living payday to payday blissfully unaware of how difficult things can become at the flip of a switch so we have no plan B,” she explained.

“We are eternally grateful to everyone for donations and shares which are ensuring we can focus on picking up the pieces and rebuilding ourselves during these crazy days.”

If you are like Tara and are struggling to pay for your care, SurvivorNet has expert resources about getting the financial help you need.

Know the Signs of a Brain Tumor

According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, a person's likelihood of developing a cancerous tumor that starts in the brain or spinal cord during their lifetime is less than 1%.

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That being said, brain tumors can be very dangerous whether they are cancerous or not. Benign (noncancerous) brain tumors are usually slow-growing and malignant (cancerous) ones are usually fast-growing.

It’s unclear exactly what type of brain tumor Tara Hussain has, but her story illustrates how important it is to always address any concerning changes to your health.

According to the Mayo Clinic, general signs and symptoms of brain tumors include:

• Headaches or the feeling of pressure in the head. Headaches are the most common symptom of brain tumors.
• Nausea.
• Vomiting.
• Eye issues like blurry vision, double vision or loss of sight on the sides of your vision.
• Loss of feeling or movement in a leg or arm.
• Balance issues.
• Speech issues.
• Fatigue.
• Confusion.
• Memory issues.
• Issues following simple instructions.
• Shifts in personality or behavior.
• Seizures.
• Hearing issues.
• Dizziness or vertigo.
• An increase in appetite and weight gain.

If you ever experience any concerning or unusual changes to your health, promptly talk to your doctor. And if you don’t feel like you’re getting the answers you need like in Tara’s case don’t be afraid to seek out multiple opinions.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.