Morgan Nottle was 26 weeks pregnant when she was told she had an incurable brain tumour after they were dismissed as ‘bad headaches’ – and now fears she won’t see her children grow up
A mum says she may not see her children grow up, claiming doctors “dismissed” her incurable brain tumour as “bad headaches” for more than seven years.
Morgan Nottle’s life turned upside down in September after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour at 26 weeks pregnant. She had been experiencing throbbing headaches for years but claims doctors dismissed the pain as recurrent migraines. It wasn’t until the 25-year-old became pregnant with her second child, Lilah, that her symptoms worsened and she says she was in so much pain she could ‘barely walk.
The former shop assistant demanded further investigation and an MRI scan revealed an incurable brain tumour growing in her head. Distraught, Morgan, who lives in Dartford, Kent, was unable to begin treatment until the birth of her baby girl in December, after which she had brain surgery to remove the tumour. Despite being told it is incurable, Morgan hopes, with surgery, treatment and MRI scans, her cancer can be managed.
However, Morgan fears that it may one day become unmanageable and could miss out on seeing her children grow up. She admits she is “frustrated” that it wasn’t found earlier and claims if doctors had just ‘listened to her’ she “wouldn’t be in the situation that I am now”. Morgan said: “I’ve always suffered really badly with headaches for the last seven or eight years. They were so intense. But the doctors would always put them down to migraines and said it was nothing to worry about.
“Then when I got pregnant, the headaches got more intense. I’d had them for a few days and nothing was helping. I felt pressure in my head. It felt like my head was going to explode. I was in so much pain, I could barely walk. I thought it could be preeclampsia because I’d had it in my previous pregnancy, I just wanted to get it checked.
“They kept me in for two days and did an MRI scan then asked to talk to me in a private room. I knew it was something bad. When they told me I had a brain tumour, it was like I couldn’t hear anything. It was awful. I was 26 weeks pregnant and was so worried about whether they wanted to bring the baby early. They kept saying ‘we have to wait until the baby’s born’. I was thinking the worst when I was given the diagnosis. I wanted another baby for such a long time and finally got pregnant then this happens. This wasn’t how I wanted it to be. It was a constant worry.”
Morgan underwent a five-hour craniotomy operation to remove the brain tumour. She added: “I’m still waiting to hear back about how much of the tumour they actually got out. They told me they weren’t sure if they could remove all of it and the surgery would be complicated. They said it can keep coming back and eventually it will become more aggressive. It’s just a case of managing it.
“I do think I might not see my babies grow up. It was so frustrating my symptoms were dismissed. I always say to people go and get checked if they have symptoms. You know your body.” Morgan’s friend Chloe Jackson launched a fundraiser to help pay for a dream holiday to Disneyland Paris for Morgan and her kids.
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
