Overview

• Doctors initially misattributed Hitchman’s months of headaches, jaw pain and fatigue to perimenopause or Eustachian tube dysfunction before she suffered a seizure in Ireland on April 15.
• CT scans at Bantry General and St Richard’s Hospitals revealed a 5cm meningioma that was removed in a life-saving operation at Southampton General on April 29.
• During recovery Hitchman experienced complications including an eye swelling shut and vertical double vision.
• She has raised over £820 through Brain Tumour Research’s '88 Squats a Day Challenge' to fund a research day at one of the charity’s Centres of Excellence.
• Now preparing to resume her role as a special educational needs coordinator, Hitchman is focused on promoting early diagnosis and research support.