Pupils take on ‘hat-tastic’ fundraiser for mum diagnosed with brain tumour

Pupils at Halfway Community Primary School in Carmarthenshire are taking part in Wear A Hat Day for Brain Tumour Research after the mother of a pupil was diagnosed with the disease.

Mum-of-three, Jessica Jones, from Llanelli, was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma in 2020 after experiencing hearing loss and severe headaches the previous year.

Headteacher, Jayne Thomas has worked at Halfway Community Primary School for 25 years and said: “Jessica is a much-loved parent at the school and we really wanted to show our support for her and her family during after her diagnosis and during her treatment.

“We support a lot of charities and are a family-orientated school. When Jessica told us about her brain tumour back in the first lockdown, it was absolutely heart-breaking. Her girls have been amazing throughout the whole experience. She has been incredibly brave at a difficult time, amplified because of the pandemic.”

In June 2020, the 38-year-old commercial banker went to the GP to get her hearing and headaches checked and was given migraine tablets and told to go back if the problem persisted.

A few days later, she returned to the GP and was referred for a CT scan after an abnormally high blood pressure reading. Jessica was admitted to Prince Phillip Hospital in Llanelli for further tests which revealed the devastating news she had a brain tumour, which was causing the intense pressure on her brain.

Jessica said: “I had no family with me due to COVID restrictions, just the doctor and nurse, who told me the news, as I sat on the end of the bed on my own. At that point, all you want is your family around you for support to cuddle and comfort you – I had no one.

“I had to tell my husband, family and friends over the phone. Knowing very little about acoustic neuromas, I researched more about the brain tumour whilst in hospital to prepare for what was ahead of me. Throughout the last 12 months I have always tried to remain positive but it has been an emotional rollercoaster and I have been afraid.”

In January 2021, Jessica underwent a gruelling 13-hour operation where surgeons removed a section of her skull from behind her ear, and successfully took out most of the tumour. Surgeons had to leave a small part of the tumour which had grown around the facial nerve, to avoid causing facial palsy however the procedure has left her with single-sided deafness.

Following surgery, Jessica experienced vertigo and spent two weeks in hospital, with no visitors allowed. Aside from hearing loss, acoustic neuromas and their surgical removal can cause vestibular damage, which can result in balance issues. Simple things like standing were difficult in the first few days post-surgery, but Jessica worked with her health team at Heath Hospital in Cardiff to improve co-ordination of eye and head movements and balance retraining to allow her to walk.

She said: “I was unable to stand without vomiting the first few days. Thanks to the support of the team there, I finally left the hospital after two weeks, trundling along on a Zimmer frame at the age of 37.”

Jessica’s three daughters, Ella who is nine, and five-year-old twins Emily and Lily attend Halfway Community Primary School and they, alongside 240 pupils aged three to 11, will be encouraged to wear their favourite hats and make a donation to Brain Tumour Research on Friday 25 March, as part of the charity’s iconic Wear A Hat Day event.

Jessica said: “One of the hardest parts of my hospital stay was being unable to see my husband and girls. I was really sad to miss the twins turning four at the end of January, as I was in hospital at the time. When I came home, the girls put on their nurses’ uniforms to celebrate ‘Mammy’ coming home.

“The school has been very supportive as I have undergone my treatment which has helped them and lots of the teachers supported me during my fundraising challenge too.”

Just a year after surgery, Jessica took part in the charity’s 10,000 Steps a Day in February Challenge, raising more than £3,180.

Jessica now has yearly scans to monitor what is left of her tumour and in December 2021, received news that the remainder of her tumour is stable.

Now in its 13th year, Wear A Hat Day has raised more than £2 million for Brain Tumour Research to help fund the fight against the disease. It is one of the UK’s biggest and best-loved brain tumour research awareness and fundraising days. This year, the charity’s Wear A Hat Day pin badges have a regal theme in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and several of the charity’s celebrity ambassadors are fronting the campaign, including TV personalities Danny Clarke and Sarah Beeny, actor and long-time supporter Dame Sheila Hancock DBE, and brain tumour survivor Caprice Bourret. Danny lost his sister to a brain tumour; Sheila’s grandson was treated for the disease when he was just four years old; Sarah was in her 20s when she lost her mum to a brain tumour; Caprice had surgery for a brain tumour six years ago. They are encouraging everyone to take part and help fund the fight against this devastating disease.

Mel Tiley, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Jessica for sharing her story with us and for her continuing support with fundraising. Jessica’s diagnosis reminds us that brain tumours are indiscriminate and can strike anyone at any time. We appreciate Halfway Community Primary School’s support and hope the children enjoy the day.

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and the larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure. The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia and is also campaigning for greater repurposing of drugs.