Steve Turnbull, 63, was diagnosed after months of strange smells, sickness and problems with his vision and balance
A father was diagnosed with an aggressive and incurable form of cancer after he began experiencing a peculiar symptom – randomly smelling candy floss. Steve Turnbull, 63, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma following months of odd smells, sickness, and issues with his vision and balance.
The dad-of-two first fell ill shortly after New Year’s Day 2024, when he suddenly vomited after tasting gravy. A few days later, he was struck by a wave of strange smells, including candy floss.
After noticing other symptoms such as loss of balance, headaches, and difficulty walking, an MRI scan in June 2024 revealed a brain tumour the size of a tennis ball. Steve underwent extensive radiotherapy and chemotherapy to control the size of the tumour and is now awaiting results from a follow-up MRI scan to determine the next steps. He wants to alert others to unusual symptoms that could be the first sign of a brain tumour.
Steve, an IT project manager from Letham, Angus, Scotland, said: “A few days after the gravy incident, I blew out a candle and was hit by a strange smell of candy floss. Then I was sick again. That became the pattern.
“I also had vision problems. Around that time, I was referred to gastroenterology, but they dismissed it. We just didn’t know what was going on.
“Being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour was a terrifying truth. If my story helps someone push for a scan when something feels wrong, it is worth telling. Even those early symptoms, like strange smells and sudden sickness, might make sense to someone else now.”
Steve didn’t think much of it when he was sick on New Year’s Day, but found it odd when he started detecting peculiar odours, which made him vomit more often. He initially went to see his GP, but the issues continued.
He said: “The GP thought it was migraines and prescribed amitriptyline, but it didn’t help.”
Matters deteriorated in June 2024 at his daughter’s wedding, when he ended up being rushed to hospital with a suspected stroke.
Steve said: “I gave a speech and walked her down the aisle. By the evening, I was losing my balance, my speech was slurred and one side of my mouth had drooped. I don’t drink, so everyone knew something was seriously wrong.”
Steve went to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, where medics initially suspected he had suffered a mini-stroke. However, multiple tests came back clear.
He was discharged more than once, despite deteriorating headaches and trouble walking. It wasn’t until he received an MRI scan toward the end of June that the cause became clear.
It revealed a large mass, the size of a tennis ball, on Steve’s brain. Steve said: “I was given two options. I could do nothing and focus on comfort, or go in for a craniotomy to remove as much of the tumour as possible and get a definitive diagnosis.”
He underwent surgery on July 12, where a sample about the size of a table tennis ball was taken.
Steve said: “They were honest from the beginning. The goal wasn’t to cure me, it was to reduce the tumour, manage symptoms and prolong stability.
“Just when we thought things were getting better, pathology confirmed I had a glioblastoma, an aggressive and cancerous form of brain tumour. It was a terrifying truth.”
Steve then endured 30 sessions of radiotherapy alongside chemotherapy with temozolomide. When the tumour progressed, he began second-line chemotherapy (PCV), which he completed in July 2025.
He is currently awaiting the results of a follow-up MRI to determine the next steps. To mark one year since his surgery and no longer needing a walking frame, Steve and his wife, Heather, 63, a qualifications and awards lead for Police Scotland, took on the Dundee Kiltwalk on August 17 in support of the Scottish Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence.
They set a target of £1,000 and have already raised more than £1,750. Steve’s niece and nephew, Erin and Rhys, will also run the Edinburgh Marathon next year to fund the centre’s vital research into glioblastoma, the same type of tumour he is living with.
Steve said: “It means everything to know others want to help. Research into brain tumours is so underfunded, even though it’s the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40.
“That needs to change. If my story helps someone push for a scan when something feels wrong, it is worth telling. Even those early symptoms, like strange smells and sudden sickness, might make sense to someone else now.
“This tumour is not going away, but we are not giving up. I will do whatever it takes – clinical trials, travel, anything – to help others in future.”
Ashley McWilliams, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Steve’s story shows how subtle and confusing the symptoms of a brain tumour can be. His determination to raise awareness and funds, even while awaiting scan results, is incredibly inspiring. We are so grateful to Steve, Heather and their family for supporting our cause.”
To back Steve’s Kiltwalk fundraiser, visit his JustGiving page.
