“When I was told I had a brain tumour, I had no idea how it affects people"

Tuesday 09 March 2021

A bride, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour just weeks after her wedding and has since recovered, will be running a half-marathon next month to help the charity that supported her.

Rebecca Harris will also be selling raffle tickets to raise money for The Jersey Brain Tumour Charity, which supports anyone affected by a brain tumour from the patient to their family, friends and colleagues.

She first became aware of the charity after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour in late 2019, just a month after her wedding.

“My husband Jono and I had not long returned from our Bordeaux 'mini-moon' and we’d been training for the Jersey September half-marathon,” Rebecca recalled. “By the time we were running our half-marathon, I was complaining of astigmatism, I had double vision, was sleeping very long hours and had started acting strangely.”

Pictured: Rebecca's brain tumour was discovered in September 2019, shortly after her wedding to Jono.

Rebecca said she started looking for things in “really weird places”, such as her pyjamas in the kitchen cupboards, and that she once got lost on her way home after a night out. 

“I did not know where I was, I had wandered into someone else’s block of flats,” she recalls. “It was really weird, I had never done anything like that before.”

Usually quite active, Rebecca also started sleeping really long hours. 

One day in September 2019, her manager told Rebecca something really wasn’t right and suggested she go see her doctor immediately. 

Later that day, she was flown to Southampton Hospital where she received brain surgery to relieve pressure in her skull that had been caused by a brain tumour.

WARNING: Graphic image...

Pictured: Rebecca had to have brain surgery to help relieve the pressure in her skull.

Although the experience was “quite scary”, Rebecca says it was even worse for her husband who remained in the island while she was undergoing surgery.

“Everyone says, 'You are so brave,' but it didn’t really affect me - everything was such a blur while my poor husband had to live through it and to find a flight the next day,” she said.

While the tumour is still there, Rebecca has since recovered and says she is “incredibly lucky” that her tumour wasn’t cancerous or terminal as is the case for many. 

The hardest part of her recovery, she says, has been getting back to the level of fitness she had before. For a while she wasn’t able to do any running, an activity she really enjoys.

“It was quite difficult,” Rebecca says. 

Having gotten her form back, Rebecca has been given a charity place at the Royal Parks half-marathon, which will take place virtually on 11 April. So far, she has raised £500 for the Brain Tumour Charity, which helps fund research and care for those suffering with brain tumours in the UK.

Pictured: The Jersey Brain Tumour Charity was founded in 2011 by Sue May, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour, which turned out to be benign, in 2010. 

However, Rebecca was also keen to raise awareness and money for the Jersey Brain Tumour Charity, who supported her and Jono after her diagnosis.

“I would love to be able to give back to Sonia [Le Clercq, the charity’s office manager, ed.] and all the people who gave us help when I was not really well,” Rebecca said.

“They paid for my husband to come to Southampton and helped me get a bus when I wasn’t allowed to drive."

“When I was told I had a brain tumour, I had no idea of how it affects people, I did not realise there is actually a higher rate of brain tumour sufferers in Jersey than in the UK. 

“Sonia does an amazing work - she is so supportive and such a lovely person, she really, really cares. I wanted to give something back to this charity.”

Pictured: Rebecca will be running her half marathon in Jersey on 11 April.

During the pandemic, the charity has also been distributing masks and sanitiser to those it supports, as well as shopping for shielding islanders.

To help raise money for the Jersey Brain Tumour Charity, which like others has struggled since the beginning of the pandemic, Rebecca is organising a raffle and intends to sell tickets to her family, friends as well as any other supportive islanders.

She has already received a number of prizes from local companies including Randalls, the Co-op, Sandpiper and The Ommaroo Hotel and is hoping to secure others.

“If any other business is wanted to donate a price or anybody wants to buy a raffle ticket, they can get in touch,” she said.

She added: “I have been so lucky to make such an amazing recovery that I would just love to help anybody that hasn't had the opportunity to experience what I have.”

To get in touch with Rebecca, email rebeccaeharris94@gmail.com.