A student who overcame a brain tumour has told how “lightning struck twice” when his father died of the same disease.

Jamie Manton, 26, was awaiting surgery when his father, Stephen, started experiencing the same numbness that the nursing student had suffered prior to his own diagnosis.

The 64-year-old, from Sheffield, underwent a biopsy at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, where a high-grade glioma was found on his brain.

Whilst awaiting his results, the civil servant suffered a post-operative brain haemorrhage and passed away five days later, just days before surgeon’s operated on his son’s own tumour.

 

A year on from his father’s death, nursing student Jamie is looking to raise money for Brain Tumour Research by running the Sheffield 10k, the Birmingham Half Marathon and the Sheffield Half Marathon.

Describing his father’s death as “heartbreaking”, he said: “There’s no hereditary link between my diagnosis and my dad’s, we were just extremely unfortunate and lightning struck twice.

“Although I’m back to full health now and rebuilding my life, it’s important to me to help prevent others suffering like we have.

“I’m a keen runner and so I’m taking on as many running challenges as I can to raise money for research into brain tumours.”

Jamie was first diagnosed with a low-grade meningioma at the age of 25, and was forced to take time out of his degree at Sheffield Hallam to undergo treatment.

Matthew Price, a community fundraising manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “It’s dreadful that the Manton family have not only experienced a brain tumour diagnosis twice, but have also lost Stephen to the disease.

“Stories like this remind us that we cannot allow this desperate situation to continue.”