Kim Borthwick, a 36-year-old mother from Glasgow, has revealed that a post-Christmas headache turned out to be an incurable brain tumour. Diagnosed in January 2026 with a glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, she now faces an uncertain future with her husband Ross and their four-year-old twin boys, Max and Freddie.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
After the festive period, Borthwick developed a headache that she initially attributed to overexertion. However, the pain became unbearable, accompanied by tingling in her hand, loss of sensation down one side of her body, and vomiting. Following multiple GP visits, she was referred to A&E for an urgent CT scan, which led to the diagnosis and immediate consideration of surgery.
“I don’t know if I’ll see them start school,” she said, reflecting on the possibility of missing her sons’ milestones. “You take those little moments for granted until you realise they could be taken away. My diagnosis has given me the clarity to enjoy every moment I have with my boys.”
Prognosis and Campaigning
Borthwick acknowledges that if she reaches her 40th birthday, she will be among the longest-surviving 10% of people with her cancer type. She has joined the Brain Cancer Justice (BCJ) campaign group, advocating for greater support and funding for rare cancers. “It’s too late for me but I want to make a difference for those who come after me. I know I would have made a really good granny,” she said.
She criticises the lack of progress in brain cancer survival rates in the UK, which have remained unchanged for decades. “There’s been no change to outcomes for people diagnosed with brain cancer in 30 years, and brain tumours remain the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40. To me, that is scandalous,” she stated.
Treatment Disparities
Borthwick highlights that patients in other G8 countries routinely receive surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and treatment with the Optune device, which slows cancer cell growth. This combination is not routinely available in Scotland, leaving families to navigate treatment options and clinical trials independently. She also notes that tumour samples in Scotland are not routinely fresh-frozen during surgery, making patients ineligible for clinical trials requiring preserved tissue.
“These aren’t cures. Nobody is pretending they are. But they give people more time with the people they love and, ultimately, that’s what matters,” she said.
The BCJ campaign is calling for a dedicated minister for rare cancers to ensure continuity in research, funding, and policy. Borthwick concluded, “I have a fire in my belly to effect change for people diagnosed with brain cancer in Scotland. It is difficult to accept, but it’s unlikely I will benefit from these changes.”
