I had terrifying diagnosis hours before giving birth, pregnancy saved my life

A TEACHER FROM MERSEYSIDE SAID REGULAR CHECK-UPS AND TESTS SHE HAD WHILE PREGNANT HELPED DETECT A BRAIN TUMOUR WHICH HAD BEEN GROWING FOR MORE THAN A DECADE 11:13, 04 Jun 2025 A teacher

diagnosed with a brain tumour says giving birth to her son saved her life. Hayley Burrows gave birth to her baby boy just 12 hours after getting diagnosed with meningioma. Hayley, 36, had

struggled with severe sickness and repeated hospital admissions during a difficult pregnancy. But she was rushed to the Walton Centre, Liverpool, following a seizure at 35 weeks pregnant

where she was initially told it was likely epilepsy brought on by pregnancy. A second more serious seizure prompted an urgent MRI scan which revealed a large meningioma - a type of brain

tumour. Hayley believes if she hadn't been pregnant and undergoing check ups and tests, her tumour might not have been discovered in time. Doctors decided it was safe to deliver her

baby via emergency caesarean and little Oliver was born on April 1, 2023 and met his dad, Daniel, 35, an assistant head teacher, straight away. Article continues below Nine weeks after her

emergency caesarean, Hayley underwent successful surgery to remove the tumour and she was left with no lasting neurological damage. Hayley, from Rainford, Merseyside, said: "When I woke

up after the seizures, I didn’t remember anything clearly. I was confused and felt like I’d lost an entire day of my life. "Being told I had a brain tumour didn’t even register at

first. It was like my brain couldn’t process the words. I had just come to terms with the idea of becoming a mum again, and now I was suddenly a brain tumour patient. "It was

terrifying, but at the same time, I didn’t feel like I had the luxury of falling apart. I had a newborn to look after. "I always say Oliver saved my life. Without being pregnant, my

tumour might never have been discovered in time.” Hayley was told her type of brain tumour had probably been growing undetected for more than a decade when she was diagnosed. She went into

hospital on the evening on March 31, 2023 and had surgery to successfully remove all of the tumour before Oliver, now two, was safely delivered on April 1, 2023, while Hayley was under

general anaesthetic. Hayley said: "I don't remember meeting Oliver for the first time, which breaks my heart. "It wasn't until the Sunday, two days later, that my memory

started coming back. I've since been told the tumour was pressing on the memory part of my brain." After two nights in hospital, Hayley was discharged, still on anti-seizure

medication and steroids. She was unable to drive for 12 months and needed to be accompanied at all times in case of further seizures. Two weeks later, she met with her neurosurgeon who

explained that the tumour, while large, was operable and non-cancerous. Hayley said: "The surgery was when it all hit me. Leaving Oliver that morning, not knowing if I'd see him

again, absolutely broke me. "Until then, I'd been on autopilot, but when it came time to say goodbye, the fear just flooded in. Thankfully, the operation went as well as it

possibly could have, but recovery was tough. "I couldn't even feed or change my baby for weeks. I needed help with everything. I felt like I'd missed the start of Oliver’s

life, and I was grieving that lost time while trying to heal physically and emotionally." Hayley's experience left a lasting emotional impact and she began counselling through the

Standing Tall Foundation and continues to attend monthly sessions. Now she is using her experience to raise awareness and funds for Brain Tumour Research, the only national charity focused

on finding a cure for all types of brain tumours. _JOIN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS __WHATSAPP__ GROUP _HERE She recently took part in the charity’s 200k in May Your Way challenge, walking

and swimming to cover 200 kilometres throughout the month. Hayley said: "I'll be honest, before all of this, the words 'brain tumour' didn't mean much to me.

"I'd never known anyone with one. Now I want to be someone who can educate others, who can say 'I've been there, and I made it through'. "Taking on this

challenge is about more than fitness. It's about hope. It's my way of giving back, of saying thank you, and of making sure that other people have the same chance I had."

Article continues below Ashley McWilliams, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: "Hayley's story is a powerful reminder of how brain tumours can go

unnoticed for years and present with very sudden symptoms. "We're so grateful to her for sharing her experience so honestly and for taking on the 200k in May challenge to help fund

the fight against this devastating disease." To support Hayley’s fundraiser, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Hayley1743712403342