Sean Sweeney, 31, from Doncaster, England, was diagnosed with a fast-growing brain tumor in July 2022. However, it could have been discovered earlier, as his symptoms were mistaken for a running injury.
31-year-old Sean Sweeney’s life changed drastically in July 2022. He had experienced frequent headaches and muscular pain from the beginning of the same year, as well as a “tingling sensation running down the right side” of his body.
Sweeney figured he had picked up an injury, maybe a torn ligament in his neck, from weight training. Therefore, he booked physiotherapy, expecting it all to be fixed. However, it didn’t work. The physio told him he couldn’t identify the cause of the pain, and Sean was worried.
Speaking with UK-based charity Brain Tumor Research, he said, “I remember feeling frustrated and unsettled, thinking, ‘I don’t feel right,’ but not being able to explain why. I was struggling to concentrate, and the symptoms just kept lingering.”
Everything culminated in a sudden seizure at home. His wife, Lucy, called 999. Within 20 minutes, Sean Sweeney was on his way to Doncaster Royal Infirmary.
Doctors carried out a CT scan on Sean, and a doctor found a lesion in his brain. He was transferred to Sheffield Royal Hallamshire Hospital. At first, they believed it wasn’t a type of incurable form of brain cancer and he was told he had just 10 years left to live. But that all changed
Diagnosed with cancer
“That November, I underwent a nine-and-a-half-hour awake craniotomy at Sheffield Royal Hallamshire Hospital to debulk the tumour. Beforehand, I had several sessions with a clinical psychologist who talked me through every stage of the day, from arriving at hospital to discharge. When the team explained the procedure, they said I seemed calm and unfazed, which reassured them I was ready,” Sean told Brain Tumor Research.
“Because I was awake, I actually remember the moment things changed. I could hear the psychologist telling the surgeon that my speech was becoming slurred. I had suffered an acute stroke during surgery.”
He continued, “The following day, physiotherapists noticed problems with my walking, and one side of my face had dropped. It was frightening, but thankfully, with rehabilitation, I recovered. Today, you wouldn’t know I’d had a stroke at all.”
Sean Sweeney was diagnosed with a grade 3 astrocytoma, a type of high-grade glioma. It requires long-term treatment and monitoring, and in January 2023, he underwent five weeks of radiotherapy.
“Try to stay realistic but hopeful”
In March, he began a 12-round chemotherapy regimen, which continued until February 2024 at Weston Park Hospital.
Now, Sean is getting better as he wants to send a message to those affected.
“I try to stay realistic but hopeful. Recently, I received my latest scan results and was told everything is stable, which felt like the best possible gift,” he wrote.
“If there’s one message I’d share with anyone facing a similar diagnosis, it’s this: stay positive and try not to dwell on what’s out of your control. It’s not easy, but I truly believe a positive mindset can help you keep moving forward,” Sean said.
He has also started a GoFundMe “to help fight the battle against brain cancer.”
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