{"id":7994,"date":"2026-04-18T11:05:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T11:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/?p=7994"},"modified":"2026-04-18T11:05:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T11:05:27","slug":"mother-of-two-hannah-35-put-her-tiredness-and-headaches-down-to-mum-life-then-she-collapsed-at-home-with-an-aggressive-brain-tumour-with-a-life-expectancy-of-12-months-so-which-simple-daily-hab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/?p=7994","title":{"rendered":"Mother-of-two Hannah, 35, put her tiredness and headaches down to ‘mum life’ – then she collapsed at home with an aggressive brain tumour with a life expectancy of 12 months. So which simple daily habits are helping her beat the odds?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour that carries an average life expectancy of 12 to 18 months, Hannah Langton\u2019s reaction, as a young mother of two, was understandable.<\/p>\n

\u2018I want to live and be here<\/a> to watch my girls grow up, so I\u2019ll do whatever it takes,\u2019 says Hannah, who has two daughters: Eva, ten, and Aura, two, with husband Gary, 43, an account manager.<\/p>\n

Initially the 35-year-old fitness instructor had put the near-daily headaches and tingling in her left arm that first dogged her late in 2023 down to \u2018mum life\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019d just had a baby so was getting little sleep,\u2019 she says. \u2018And I\u2019d always been a headachy person, so I didn\u2019t think there was a cause for concern.\u2019<\/p>\n

Then one morning in September 2024 Gary heard a thump downstairs in their home in Maidstone, Kent, followed by Eva shouting: \u2018Mummy has fallen\u2019.<\/p>\n

Bolting downstairs, he found Hannah on the floor having a seizure. She was unresponsive, but her eyes were open.<\/p>\n

Gary called an ambulance, bundled his daughters to a neighbour, then ran back to hold Hannah\u2019s head steady as she experienced another seizure.<\/p>\n

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\n
\"Hannah <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Hannah with two-year-old Aura, ten-year-old Eva, and husband Gary<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Hannah remembers little of this, or of being rushed to hospital and the brain MRI and CT scans that rapidly followed.<\/p>\n

But Gary recalls \u2018the sickening fear in the pit of his stomach\u2019 when, hours later, doctors told them there was \u2018a mass\u2019 in the right side of Hannah\u2019s brain.<\/p>\n

They were initially told it was slow-growing and \u2018had probably been there for years\u2019.<\/p>\n

But two weeks later further scans revealed it was suddenly growing fast – brain surgery was needed within days.<\/p>\n

A stunned Hannah replied, \u2018but it\u2019s my daughter\u2019s birthday party next week, can\u2019t we put it off?\u2019. \u2018I don\u2019t think I understood the severity of my situation at first, or maybe I didn\u2019t want to – it was so much of a shock I couldn\u2019t take it all in,\u2019 she now says.<\/p>\n

Every day in the UK, 35 people are diagnosed with a brain tumour: it\u2019s the biggest killer of the under-40s, according to the charity Brain Tumour Support<\/a>, with 5,400 deaths each year. (The average age of diagnosis is in the 60s.)<\/p>\n

\u2018A lot of patients are otherwise fit and healthy – a brain tumour hits them completely out of the blue,\u2019 says Paul Brennan, a professor of neurosurgery at the University of Edinburgh.<\/p>\n

The symptoms can be surprisingly subtle. \u2018Not everyone with a brain tumour will have a headache,\u2019 explains Professor Brennan.<\/p>\n

\u2018There are early symptoms, such as changes in memory or personality – or mood changes and depression which can\u2019t be explained by stress or anxiety.<\/p>\n

\u2018Some may have dizziness; others may have weakness in their arms or face; and some will have seizures,\u2019 he adds.<\/p>\n

And symptoms can be confused for the menopause, adds Bridget Dowty, head of communication at Brain Tumour Support.<\/p>\n

There are people walking around with a brain tumour \u2018who until it causes symptoms have no idea they have one – and will never know because it never causes symptoms,\u2019 says Professor Brennan.<\/p>\n

\u2018However, others might have a small tumour, but if it is pressing on something important in the brain then that causes trouble.\u2019<\/p>\n

The risk a tumour poses depends on where it is growing – while some growths are benign, their location can prove lethal. Because the symptoms can be confused for less severe complaints, around two-thirds of cases are diagnosed in A&E at a point when a person\u2019s condition is deteriorating – by which point they have had a seizure or become seriously unwell.<\/p>\n

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\"Hannah <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Hannah in the hospital. It was Gary who found her when she collapsed<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Hannah <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Hannah underwent surgery to have the tumour removed, with the wound held together with staples<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

To encourage earlier diagnosis, Brain Tumour Support is campaigning for greater awareness of the symptoms among both public and GPs.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Professor Brennan is part of a team that has developed a blood test that identifies proteins commonly found in the blood of people with a brain tumour – which in a recent trial \u2018correctly identified 19 out of 20 cases\u2019, he says.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hoped the Dxcover brain cancer test, currently available privately in the UK at a cost of \u00a3395, will be offered on the NHS to those with vague symptoms that might suggest a brain tumour to speed up diagnosis.<\/p>\n

\u2018Treatments haven\u2019t significantly changed in 20 years, which is why early detection is important – it gives people the best chance of responding to the treatments we do have,\u2019 says Professor Brennan.<\/p>\n

And while \u2018in other parts of the body we can safely remove large amounts of tissue, we can\u2019t do that in the brain\u2019, he adds.<\/p>\n

Warned she risked having a stroke during the operation – on October 30, 2024 – Hannah found herself awake in the small hours before, worrying: \u2018What if I came round unable to walk or talk?\u2019<\/p>\n

To enable surgeons to remove as much as possible of the 5.5cm tumour without damaging key parts of the brain, Hannah was told she needed to be brought round from her general anaesthetic part way through her operation. This way they could speak to her and watch for changes in her speech that could suggest the surgeon was getting close to areas relating to this.<\/p>\n

As Hannah was brought round in theatre, \u2018I was thinking \u201cthis is mad, my brain is open\u201d,\u2019 she recalls.<\/p>\n

After four hours awake, she was heavily sedated as doctors used staples to close the incisions.<\/p>\n

When she came round, there was \u2018crushing disappointment\u2019: surgeons had only managed to remove 60-70 per cent of the tumour.<\/p>\n

Days later there was more bad news: a biopsy revealed she had a stage 4 astrocytoma, an aggressive tumour that starts in the support cells of the central nervous system.<\/p>\n

Hannah, who\u2019d done her research, knew this had an average survival rate of 12 to 18 months. She says: \u2018I was heartbroken, I had been on a high thinking \u201cI can do this\u201d and suddenly I was looking at a very different prospect.\u2019<\/p>\n

Rather than quietly accept her fate, however, Hannah was determined to do whatever she could to improve her survival chances.<\/p>\n

Still in severe pain and with metal staples \u2018running from the crown of my head to the top of my ear\u2019 – and swelling so severe she couldn\u2019t open her eyes for days – within a fortnight of her operation, Hannah started a six-week course of daily chemotherapy tablets, alongside 30 sessions of radiotherapy.<\/p>\n

It was tough for the whole family. The girls didn\u2019t see their mum for ten days after her surgery while her swelling subsided.<\/p>\n

\u2018The first few nights I was back with Eva I slept in her bed, and we fell asleep holding hands,\u2019 says Hannah.<\/p>\n

The girls generally accompanied their parents to hospital appointments – including on Christmas Eve – waiting outside in the car with Gary.<\/p>\n

\u2018We didn\u2019t want the girls to go into the oncology unit, but we didn\u2019t have anyone to look after them every day,\u2019 says Hannah.<\/p>\n

\u2018Gary put me in a bubble,\u2019 she adds. \u2018I just turned my phone off. My whole focus switched to my family and survival.\u2019<\/p>\n

The first scan after the treatment showed the remainder of the tumour was shrinking.<\/p>\n

\u2018I thought \u201coh my god I\u2019m going to do this\u201d – and I haven\u2019t doubted myself from that moment,\u2019 says Hannah, who then took chemotherapy tablets for a year.<\/p>\n

\u2018I didn\u2019t breeze through it – I was really fatigued, I had no appetite, felt very queasy and lost 80 per cent of my hair – but I will do whatever it takes,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

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\"The <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The mother of two still carries the scars, but a scan earlier this year showed no sign of cancer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Hannah\u2019s treatment ended on New Years\u2019 Eve (2025) – she was elated when a scan in January showed no sign of cancer.<\/p>\n

She and Gary decided to spend their life\u2019s savings, \u00a310,000, installing a hyperbaric oxygen chamber (the kind used by divers after rising too rapidly from deep waters) in their home, after studying research suggesting this might increase her chances.<\/p>\n

\u2018It looks like a little tent we zip up – it\u2019s in our bedroom and once the kids hear it going, they know that Mummy is in her tent and they aren\u2019t to bother her,\u2019 says Hannah.<\/p>\n

She spends an hour a day in the chamber for 30 days, followed by a week off – \u2018as I\u2019ve read that is most effective\u2019.<\/p>\n

The theory is that an oxygen-rich environment helps make cancer cells more suspectable to chemotherapy.<\/p>\n

It is also thought to help prevent the proliferation of cancer cells – a review in 2012 in the journal Target Oncology, for example, said oxygen therapy \u2018can be inhibitory and reduce cancer growth in some cancer types\u2019.<\/p>\n

Hannah also takes baby (75mg) aspirin, turmeric and berberine – all thought to have anti-inflammatory effects that may help prevent cancer recurring – having first consulted her medical team.<\/p>\n

She also uses a head device that emits infrared light for 15-30 minutes a day – there\u2019s some evidence this may help reduce inflammation.<\/p>\n

Professor Brennan emphasises that oxygen chambers and supplements are no substitute for the mainstream treatment, but says he\u2019d like to see \u2018trials to see if there\u2019s a basis to recommend these additional approaches\u2019.<\/p>\n

Hannah\u2019s last scan two weeks ago showed no sign of the cancer. She knows that 90 per cent of grade 4 astrocytomas recur – mostly within 24 months of diagnosis. She\u2019s currently at month 20.<\/p>\n

Hannah has found the counselling provided by Brain Tumour Support helpful, for her family too. Eva was initially very anxious – \u2018we didn\u2019t use the word cancer with her until two months ago\u2019, says Hannah.<\/p>\n

\u2018But now she tells me how brave I am and I think she is finding it empowering. She recently won an award for a speech at school on bravery.\u2019<\/p>\n

Next week Gary will run two back-to-back marathons – he will run the route of the London marathon in reverse at 3am – and the marathon itself at just after 9am.<\/p>\n

Half the money raised will go to Brain Tumour Support, and half towards Hannah\u2019s treatment.<\/p>\n

Hannah is adamant she will beat the odds.<\/p>\n

She says: \u2018I don\u2019t care how much money I have, I don\u2019t care if I\u2019m bald forever, I don\u2019t care if I\u2019m never allowed to drive again [her licence was suspended after her seizure] – I just want to watch my children grow up.<\/p>\n

\u2018As long as you are alive – you have hope.\u2019<\/p>\n

To donate visit: gofundme.com\/f\/running-london-marathon-twice-back-to-back<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour that carries an average life expectancy of 12 to 18 months, Hannah Langton\u2019s reaction, as a young mother of two, was understandable. \u2018I want to live and be here to watch my girls grow up, so I\u2019ll do whatever it takes,\u2019 says Hannah, who has two daughters: Eva, ten,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7995,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[520],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-7994","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hot"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7994"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7994\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}