A woman from Bristol who thought her hearing loss was due to flying was shocked to discover she had a brain tumour the size of a lime. Amy Frankcom, now 33, first noticed symptoms after a family holiday to Lapland in late 2023, but doctors repeatedly dismissed her concerns as a blocked ear or headaches caused by the flight.
After four months of persistent symptoms, a student doctor suggested an MRI scan. The scan revealed a 6cm acoustic neuroma – a rare, non-cancerous tumour. Within days of her diagnosis in February 2024, Amy underwent emergency brain surgery to remove the growth. The operation was successful but left her completely deaf in her right ear.
Reflecting on the experience, Amy said: 'Hearing the words, "you have a brain tumour" was utterly terrifying. In that moment, everything stopped. I went straight to worst-case scenarios and the fear completely took over.' She now uses cross hearing aids and is determined to raise awareness about the importance of early diagnosis.
Despite the ordeal, Amy is training for the London Marathon to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research. She said: 'If my journey can give even one person hope or encourage someone to listen to their body and seek help, then every mile will be worth it.' Brain tumours are the leading cancer killer among children and adults under 40, yet only 1% of national cancer research funding has gone towards brain tumour research since 2002.
