Son’s headaches made mefearabraintumour
Olympic gold medal winner Sally Gunnell on her son’s health scare and how a change of diet has turned things around for her entire family
BY JANE SYMONS SALLY Gunnell has always had a talent for clearing hurdles. Her mother’s mental breakdown gave her the determination to become an Olympian and she beat back pain to win gold in the 400m hurdles at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
“I have learnt to look at things in a positive way,” said Sally.
“My mum had a breakdown when I was 15 and I think that made me who I am. It’s why I won my medals because it made me tough.”
But she says her biggest hurdle came recently, when the 52-yearold mum-of-three feared her son had a brain tumour.
Luca, now 18, had suffered tiredness and mood swings for most of his life.
“When he was young he could never stay awake past 7pm and was always on edge, argumentative,” Sally said.
From the moment he could talk, Luca told her of a pain in his head.
Sally, who now works on TV and as a motivational speaker, and her husband, performance coach Jonathan Bigg, took him to doctors and specialists. Yet, despite his recurring symptoms, they were repeatedly told Luca would “grow out of it”.
Sally however, remained concerned and when he began to suffer nosebleeds, she started to fear a brain tumour.
“The headaches were so severe and came so often it was a real worry,” she said. “You start to think the worst. I was not getting desperate because all the doctors were telling me he was fine but I could not help worrying it
There are days when it’s the last thing I want to do but exercise has been my sanity
was a brain tumour.” Thankfully, and much to Sally’s relief, the nosebleeds were a passing phase. Finally, last year, the family discovered it was wheat that was the trigger for Luca’s headaches. Blood tests confirmed his brother, Finley, 20, a promising 800-metre runner, was also intolerant to wheat and dairy. Sally reacts to egg and cow’s milk and Jonathan is advised to avoid dairy foods. Marley, 14, has yet to be tested.
Unlike allergies, which involve an almost immediate and sometimes life-threatening reaction, food intolerances can take up to 72 hours to trigger symptoms, which makes them difficult to diagnose. Some experts are sceptical about the tests taken by Sally and her family as they look for food-specific “IgG” antibodies, produced whenever we eat those foods, whether we have a reaction or not.
But Sally has no doubts, saying: “It has utterly changed Luca’s life.”
And Sally knows how important it is to look after her mental health.
She said: “My mum, her twin sister and her brother struggled with depression and I think some of that is hereditary. That’s why it’s so important to keep yourself strong. There are some days when it’s the last thing I want to do but exercise has been my sanity.”
Running for charities also helps her raise awareness and donations for causes close to her heart. Next month she will take part in a 5k Resolution Run for the Stroke Association.
One in six people will have a stroke in their lifetime. Sally said: “Even the healthiest can have a stroke.”
Proof of that came last year with the news her friend and fellow Olympian Michael Johnson, 51, had suffered a transient ischemic attack, sometimes known as a mini-stroke.
He has made a recovery but Sally said: “If it could happen to Michael, it could happen to anyone. It really brought it home to me.”
For information on strokes go to resolutionrun.org.uk, where you can also sign up for a Resolution Run.