When Jean Gurrey, 69, noticed her husband, Mark, 70, becoming short-tempered and irritable, she put it down to him ‘just liking a good moan’.

But when he also began experiencing mini seizures, a CT scan in January 2023 revealed his increasing ‘grumpiness’ was actually caused by a brain tumour.

In February 2024, Mark sadly died of glioblastoma — an aggressive form of cancer with symptoms many people are unaware of.

‘Looking back, I can see the signs were there, but they were so subtle,’ says Jean, from Chemsford, Essex.

‘His good-natured complaining became part of the family’s humour, and we all took joy in it together. But what had once been light-hearted and affectionate became sharper; he grew more critical and short-tempered.’

While concerning, Jean put this change down to age, ‘never imagining it could be something more sinister.’

However, around the same time Mark began ‘hearing music in his head’ in short bursts a few times a week — seemingly innocuous occurrences later revealed to be mini seizures.

‘He could never place the tune and sometimes it was a voice that lasted just a few seconds,’ Jean recalls. ‘He insisted it didn’t trouble him and even admitted he quite liked it.’

A CT scan led doctors to diagnose him with a brain tumour, after which Mark underwent surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Jean says: ‘Just a month after being told treatment had shrunk Mark’s tumour and his personality returning to something closer to his old self, his symptoms started again.

‘The oncologist spoke to us about trials, but there was nothing Mark qualified for. We trusted her, and she explained that his tumour had recurred very aggressively.

‘I know a lot of people get brain tumours and live with them for years, but the unrelenting nature of Mark’s particular type of tumour is devastating. It sneaks up like an assassin in the night and takes no prisoners.’

Following her husband’s death, Jean is now working with the charity Brain Tumour Research, the only national charity focused on finding a cure for all types of brain tumours.

‘Greater understanding and awareness of this disease, even of its subtlest warning signs, is vital,’ she says.

‘With more investment in research, we can find kinder treatments that extend lives and give families hope.’

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, adds: ‘Mark’s story is sadly not uncommon. There are more than 100 different types of brain tumour, making them notoriously difficult to find effective treatments for.

‘Despite this complexity, treatment options have barely changed in decades. As a charity, we’re working hard to drive the innovation needed to bring new treatments to patients faster – but to do this, we urgently need greater investment. With the support of people like Jean, we’re pushing for change.’

Visit the Brain Tumour Research website for more information on how you can campaign and fundraise.

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