From brain surgery to 10k steps a day – Jen’s remarkable recovery

AYOUNG mum whose poor mental health turned out to be caused by a brain tumour is raising money for Brain Tumour Research.

Jennifer Dorian, who many Southport residents will recognise as a former regular ukulele busker known as “ukulele girl”, is taking on the 10,000 Steps a Day Challenge to raise vital funds for the charity after undergoing surgery to remove the growth.

Jennifer, a 25-year-old retail supervisor and mum-of-one, was diagnosed with a mixed glioneuronal tumour in September 2020, after she experienced a range of symptoms including dizziness and depression.

Jennifer, who is currently furloughed from her job at Claire’s Accessories, said: “I got a womb infection in July, which developed into sepsis. It was the second time I’d contracted sepsis.

“Then I started getting other symptoms, such as dizziness, low mood and feeling panicky all the time. As well as this, my balance and coordination weren’t right”.

On September 22, Jennifer collapsed in the high street in Southport as she was walking along carrying her toddler. Members of the public rushed out of nearby shops to help her and Theodore and she was taken to Southport and Formby District General Hospital A&E.

Jennifer said: “Doctors sent me for a CT scan, which revealed some swelling on my brain, caused by a lesion. They thought the lesion was probably due to the bump to my head when I fell but they booked me in for an MRI scan a couple of weeks later. I was discharged and went back to work after a couple of days.”

Jennifer returned to work for one day but had another seizure in the street which resulted in her being sent back to hospital. Her MRI scan was brought forward and the results revealed a small brain tumour.

She said: “It didn’t feel real. I was shocked but when I started to think about the mental health problems I’ve suffered for a number of years, everything started to make sense.

I’ve had feelings of wanting to die and have self-harmed since my teens. I used to bang my head repeatedly.

“Although some of my emotional issues have undoubtedly been caused by family trauma, I am now convinced the brain tumour was causing much of it.”

Jennifer was transferred to the Walton Centre in Liverpool and had six-hour surgery to remove the tumour on November 27, 2020.

She said: “I didn’t hesitate to agree to having the operation.

“I was told that without it, my eyesight might deteriorate, eventually leaving me blind, as the tumour was sitting on my optic nerve.

“I couldn’t risk not being able to see my little boy again.

“On the day of the operation, I went into theatre smiling and feeling relieved that the cause of all my mental and physical issues was finally being dealt with.”

Jennifer’s craniotomy was a success and she recovered well from surgery.

She said: “When I first came around, I was extremely photosensitive and no peripheral vision but that gradually improved.

“Straight away, I felt a huge amount of pressure in my brain was gone. After I regained my balance, I felt better still.

“Overall, I had the feeling that I was a brand-new person, who’d been given renewed purpose in life.

“I was so grateful to everyone at The Walton who looked after me, especially my consultant Emmanuel Chavredakis, who was fantastic at guiding me through the procedure and putting me at ease.”

Jennifer was discharged from hospital on December 2 and was able to see her little boy again a week later.

Sharing custody of Theodore with his dad, she was desperate to be able to look after him again by herself and that day came on December 29.

She said: “I’d missed him so much, as I’d been in and out of hospital since September and had rarely been well enough to have him on my own during that time. It had destroyed my mental health. Nothing felt better than being able to pick him up again for the first time after my surgery. It was amazing.”

A biopsy of Jennifer’s tumour was carried out following her surgery and it confirmed the tumour was low-grade, meaning no further treatment would be necessary. She is now having annual routine MRI scans, to check for any regrowth.

Jennifer added: “It’s now two months on from my surgery and I’m feeling well.

“I met my partner Ben on Tinder at the beginning of November, after my diagnosis. I was still on crutches at the time.

“Just two weeks into our relationship I found out I would be having brain surgery a fortnight later. I told him everything and he vowed to support me every step of the way. I knew then that it was love.”

Following a whirlwind romance, Jennifer and Ben got engaged on New Year’s Eve.

Jennifer joined thousands of other fundraisers around the country by taking part in a 10,000 Steps a Day in February Challenge, to raise money for Brain Tumour Research.

Jennifer said: “I have a friend who also has a brain tumour and is currently waiting for treatment.

“She introduced me to the challenge and I thought it sounded like a great way of getting back into my fitness”.