A Sydney mum has had her dreams of becoming a teacher dashed after what seemed like mild head pain turned out to be a 7.4cm brain tumour.
Ashley Hankin, 39, began experiencing a “squeezing” feeling in her head in early July.
The pain would last about 10 seconds and would come about very sporadically, Hankin’s sister Amy Hardie told 7NEWS.com.au.
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“(It was) like someone was squeezing her brain,” Hardie said.
The mother-of-two was given a referral for a CT scan by her doctor, however put it off for quite some time until an overwhelming feeling told her to get it done.
“She said something told her, ‘no, just go and get it’,” Hardie said.
Hankin’s gut feeling was right.
Following her scan on July 29, doctors informed Hankin she had swelling in her brain.
Soon after that they delivered the shocking news that she had a tumour.
At first she was told the tumour was only 1.8cm big but a further MRI confirmed it was in fact much larger.
“They said it’s actually 7.4cm. We were thinking, OK, a small tumour, you’ll be right, you know, it’s going to be fine,” Hardie said.
“And then they’ve said it’s 7.4cm, it’s really large. It’s pretty much taking up … the frontal lobe.”
Hardie said the news was extremely upsetting.
“You don’t expect to hear your sister get told that,” she said.
Doctors told Hankin the tumour had likely been growing for several years and that they were shocked she hadn’t started experiencing seizures.
She will soon undergo surgery to remove the tumour, however given the location not all of it can be taken out.
The tumour is located close to the part of the brain which controls motor functions, meaning she could be paralysed if doctors do attempt to remove it entirely.
Instead, Hankin will undergo chemotherapy and radiation to tackle what is left after the surgery.
The 39-year-old had only just completed her teaching degree after eight years of studying.
She was supposed to have started working already, however her plans to embark on her dream career are now up in the air.
“She was so excited,” Hardie said.
Since receiving the life-changing news, her sister has been a “mess”, Hardie said, and has struggled to figure out how to tell her two young children.
“She’s worried that she’s not gonna be able to do things and live a life with them,” she said.
It’s unclear what the next few months will look like for Hankin, with doctors also yet to determine exactly what type of brain tumour she has.
With Hankin’s partner also taking time off work, Hardie has set up a fundraiser to help with ongoing medical costs.
Almost $10,000 has been raised so far, with Hardie saying the family did not expect such generosity.
“It just shows that there are good people out there,” she said.
Hardie said her sister wants to express the importance of listening to your body and getting checked if you have even the smallest inkling that something is wrong.
“If you have any doubts or any weird feelings, go and get checked,” she said.