A young man's persistent pain, initially dismissed as a sports injury, turned out to be a symptom of an incurable brain tumour, with doctors giving him a life expectancy of just ten years.
From Neck Pain to a Seizure and Shocking Diagnosis
Sean Ryan Sweeney, a 31-year-old senior accounts director from Doncaster, first experienced troubling symptoms in January 2022. He suffered from regular headaches, muscular neck pain, and a tingling sensation down the right side of his body.
Believing he had torn a neck ligament during running or weight training, Sean sought help from a physiotherapist. After several sessions with no improvement, he was discharged without a clear cause, leaving him frustrated and concerned by his lingering symptoms.
The situation escalated dramatically on 19 July 2022. Sean's then-partner, Lucy, discovered him having a seizure at home. She immediately called 999, and he was blue-lighted to Doncaster Royal Infirmary.
A CT scan revealed a worrying lesion on his brain. Referred to specialists at Sheffield Royal Hallamshire Hospital, further scans confirmed the devastating news: Sean had a grade 3 astrocytoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Doctors told him the tumour was incurable.
Awake Surgery, a Stroke, and Gruelling Treatment
In November 2022, Sean underwent a nine-and-a-half-hour awake craniotomy to remove part of the tumour. During the high-risk procedure, he suffered an acute stroke.
"I remember the exact moment things changed," Sean recalled. "I could hear the psychologist telling the surgeon my speech was becoming slurred." The stroke caused walking difficulties and a droop on the left side of his face, though extensive rehabilitation has since helped him recover remarkably.
In early 2023, Sean began a gruelling course of treatment at Weston Park Hospital, enduring five weeks of radiotherapy and 12 rounds of chemotherapy. He completed his treatment in February 2024, and his condition is currently stable.
Raising Funds and Awareness After Life-Altering News
Sean is now channelling his energy into raising vital funds and awareness. He has partnered with Brain Tumour Research, the only national charity dedicated solely to finding a cure for all types of brain tumour.
Alongside his father-in-law, Carl Hathaway, 59, Sean completed Sir Chris Hoy's 60KM Tour de 4 cycling challenge, raising over £2,500. They plan to tackle the 100km route next year.
"Finishing treatment doesn't mean everything goes back to normal," Sean explained. "You're still living with the impact and for high-grade tumours like mine there still isn't a cure. It's shocking how little funding brain tumours receive compared to other cancers."
Ashley McWilliams, Community Development Manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: "It is only with increased funding and more research that we can find a cure for patients like Sean. His experience highlights the reality that treatment can be gruelling and recovery can be long, with life-changing consequences even when someone looks well on the outside."
