A 24-year-old woman from Doncaster, Yorkshire, was misdiagnosed with severe mental illness for a year before doctors discovered she had a golf-ball-sized brain tumour. Sarah-Jane Doherty was initially treated for bipolar disorder after presenting with fatigue, depressive episodes, psychosis, hallucinations, and mood swings. It was only after a CT scan and MRI that she was diagnosed with a suspected Grade 2 Glioma.
Misdiagnosis and Dismissed Symptoms
Sarah-Jane first noticed symptoms in July 2025, including extreme exhaustion that made it difficult to stand for long periods. Mental health professionals attributed her symptoms to bipolar disorder and prescribed antipsychotic medication. However, her condition worsened. She also experienced vision problems such as floaters and squinting, which an optician attributed to rapid vision decline.
"They said that they would put me on an antipsychotic, and my symptoms still weren't resolving. In fact, some of them are getting worse," Sarah-Jane told reporters. "They said that they thought that my hallucinations were mood congruence, so they were associated with my mood, which was why they weren't responding to typical antipsychotic treatment. I think when that was said to me, I was a bit deflated."
Emergency Hospital Visit
On June 23, 2026, Sarah-Jane experienced a severe headache that escalated within 60 seconds, leaving her sobbing in pain. She also felt electric shocks running down her left arm. After several days of feeling unwell, she went to Doncaster Royal Infirmary, where a CT scan initially suggested a brain bleed. An MRI later revealed a brain tumour measuring approximately 3cm by 4cm, the size of a golf ball.
"I went from not having a headache at all to crying because I was in that much pain," she said. "I rang my mum, and my mum came down straight away, and I was just absolutely inconsolable."
Diagnosis and Next Steps
Sarah-Jane was diagnosed with a suspected Grade 2 Glioma, a slow-growing brain tumour that often affects younger adults. She will undergo brain surgery lasting between four and 12 hours, during which she will be awake under light sedation for a significant portion. A biopsy taken during surgery will confirm the tumour's grade.
"They gave me loads of leaflets and there's a massive list of complications, which is just so scary. I'm just praying that none of them occur, but it's brain surgery so it obviously is risky in itself," she said. "They said, hopefully they can get it all, but they won't know for sure whether it's grade two or a grade three until they take a biopsy when they remove it."
Raising Awareness
Sarah-Jane has been sharing her story on TikTok to raise awareness about brain tumour symptoms and the importance of seeking second opinions. She emphasizes that symptoms should not be dismissed as mental health issues without thorough investigation.
"It's not normal to feel ill all the time, and we put this aside and blame things like work for not wanting to go to the doctors, but you're the most important thing and it's important to put yourself first," she said. "Push for a second opinion if there is any chance that you think something is wrong. You have the right to a second opinion, if somebody is experiencing new symptoms, it can't be put down to your mental health."
For support, The Brain Tumour Charity can be reached at 0808 800 0004.
