A BBC journalist has opened up concerning the realities of dwelling with a mind tumour.
In a brand new documentary airing on Wednesday, Glenn Campbell shares his journey over the previous 12 months, which incorporates rounds of gruelling remedy, elevating cash for charitable causes, and even present process mind surgical procedure.
The movie, titled My Mind Tumour and Me, airs on BBC One Scotland on Wednesday at 7pm and will probably be accessible to stream on BBC iPlayer afterwards.
However what will we learn about Campbell and his situation?
The 48-year-old has labored for BBC Scotland since 2001, when he joined the broadcaster’s radio station.
Over time, he moved into tv, regularly overlaying political information (together with quite a few elections and Scottish independence debates), earlier than finally being appointed BBC Scotland’s political editor in 2021.
When and the way was his mind tumour discovered?
The invention of Campbell’s mind tumour got here after he fell off a motorcycle in 2023. Left with 10 damaged ribs and a minimize and bruised face, the journalist was handled in hospital however, shortly after leaving, suffered a seizure.
Upon returning to hospital, he was identified with an oligodendroglioma mind tumour by docs. Based on Mind Tumour Analysis, the identify refers to a “uncommon, slow-growing” tumour which is a type of glial cell.
Any such mind tumour types when regular stem cells grow to be glial cells (cells that maintain nerve cells in place) and a tumour grows.
Is his mind tumour terminal?
In an article for the BBC, Campbell says: “After 15 months, I’m nonetheless going robust as a result of it seems I’ve a uncommon type of the illness, an oligodendroglioma, that tends to reply higher to remedy.
“The sensible mind surgeon Paul Brennan saved my life by chopping out most of my tumour and, with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, it appears to be conserving my most cancers in test for now.
“There have been a few false alarms however the latest test suggests my tumour is steady. I don’t know how lengthy that may final,” he stated.
Oligodendroglioma tumours could be deadly, nonetheless, they often have greater survival charges than different types of mind most cancers.
What’s Campbell doing now?
As his documentary reveals, Campbell hasn’t let his mind tumour cease him from dwelling his life. “The specialists are clear – they don’t need me to cease doing issues,” he stated. “They need to allow me to dwell as usually as doable.”
In addition to spending time together with his household and buddies, Campbell’s restoration has allowed him to make a “gradual return” to work for the BBC.
Though he unsuccessfully tried to climb a mountain in Scotland, struggling a seizure 10 minutes into the hike that referred to as for remedy by emergency companies, Campbell has nonetheless saved busy.
He has arrange a fundraising group, Mind Energy, to assist set up a mind tumour analysis centre in Scotland. “I believe well-resourced science can do quite a bit higher. If not for me, for many who come after,” he stated.
