Grandmother who thought she had hay fever later discovered symptoms were brain tumour

Ciaran Morgan in May 2022 - before her operation Credit: Ciaran Morgan

A grandmother who thought her swollen eye was caused by hay fever was shocked to discover it was actually a brain tumour.

Ciaran Morgan, 43, from Kingsbridge in Devon, noticed her enlarged and weepy right eye in the summer of 2020 and put it down to a pollen allergy.

The GP confirmed the same and a trip to the optician found no cause for concern.

But a year later, when she started suffering from more symptoms, Ciaran returned to the GP and was referred for an MRI scan which confirmed a tennis-ball-sized tumour which was pushing her eye forward.

Her tumour was so complex, a team of experts created a 3D model of her skull to work out how to remove the cancer without causing life-limiting injuries.

CT scan showing the tumour Credit: Ciaran Morgan

Reflecting on the diagnosis Ciaran said: "The GP actually said 'Go and look on the Cancer Research website'.

"Hearing cancer research your world just dissolves around you, 'how am I going to tell people? How am I going to cope? What does this mean?'"

In October 2022 Ciaran had a 10-hour operation and she now lives with a titanium plate, replacing the part of her skull, and a reconstructed mesh eye socket.

She returned to her work as a funeral director in March 2023 and is monitored with annual scans.

Ciaran is now fundraising for the charity Brain Tumour Research and aiding her recovery by walking 10,000 steps a day in August.

Asked what the main message she wanted to convey was, she said: "Talk about it. If you've got a headache, if you've got something that doesn't feel right, talk about it. Just go to the GP."

Mel Tiley, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Ciaran’s story is a stark reminder of the indiscriminate nature of brain tumour, which can affect anyone at any time.

"They kill more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.

"We’re grateful to Ciaran for sharing her story and wish her well in her ongoing recovery and her 10k steps challenge.”

You can donate the Brain Tumour Research via Ciaran’s fundraising page.