When Jac Sexton, from Aberdare, south Wales, visited his GP with severe headaches, double vision and a loss of balance, he was told it was likely he had an ear infection
A teenager whose severe headaches were initially dismissed as a symptom of an ear infection has been crushed to be diagnosed with a brain tumour.
When Jac Sexton, 19, also experienced double vision and a loss of balance, he visited his GP, who believed the young man had an infection. He later fell ill at home, though, and was rushed to hospital, where a CT scan revealed the high grade Glioblastoma, a rare cancer.
Jac now is unable to walk or swallow as, in the matter of days, he has had “everything taken from him”. Speaking last night, Jac’s uncle Rhydian said: “He basically had everything taken from him within the space of a week. He had plans for the future with holidays and such things and that was taken away as well.
“It wasn’t something which grew over years it was something that rapidly grew over the space of a month so he didn’t have time to adjust to everything. His balance was gone within two weeks and his speech became slurred.”
Jac, from Aberdare, south Wales, is an avid sports fan, and enjoys barbering and hiking. His close-knit friends, including partner Abbey, are said to be rocked by the tragic news. Although Jac undertook an intense six-week round of radiation, which finished two days before Christmas, the tumour is inoperable.
The treatment left him unable to walk, struggling to use the left side of his body, suffering from extreme fatigue and having difficulties swallowing. In January his trouble swallowing led to him aspirating and he travelled by air ambulance to Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales.
Speaking to Wales Online, Rhydian continued: “Before the diagnosis he was just a typical teenager. He enjoyed a lot of his activities like going hiking up Pen y Fan and going to the gym, he was really keen on keeping himself fit.”
He added: “He had just started off his own barbering and his passion for that has also been cut short. Jac played football for his local community team, FC Cwmaman, and played rugby, which he was probably more passionate about, for his local rugby club Aberdare RFC and Abercwmboi RFC.
“He was very outgoing, happy go lucky, very pleasant to be around, nothing was ever too much trouble for him and if he could help he would be that person, especially with his friends who were a close-knit group.”
Jac was put in an induced coma and his family were told by doctors they expected him to have severe brain damage or heart failure. Thankfully Jac made an excellent recovery from the incident, with the ICU doctor saying he hadn’t seen a case like it or such a positive outcome in 30 years.
The young man is now receiving palliative care at home beside his close family and friends and his family are now raising money for him and his mum to support them with everything they have been through. You can donate to the GoFundMe here.
