‘Don’t let other families suffer’

After a lunch to celebrate his birthday, Nick Castle’s wife Gail – who had been diagnosed with a brain tumour two months earlier – took a turn for the worst.

“Up until this point, Gail had quite openly declared she was in denial and continued to be her normal bouncy, positive and happy self,” says Nick, of Wallingford.

Four days later, on December 11, 2013, Gail died.

“It was all such a shock – Gail was just 43 years old,” says Nick, who runs building and development company Castle BM Developments.

Now he is urging people to help fund research into the disease to save other families suffering the same heartbreak.

“It is shocking to learn that just one per cent of national cancer research spending goes on brain tumours and that survival rates for this form of cancer have barely changed in more than 30 years,” says father-of-two Nick.

Gail had started having headaches and by October 2013 they became really bad.

“We got her eyes tested, but everything was fine. The GP put it down to migraine,” recalls Nick.

“A couple of times Gail was in so much pain I took her along to A&E at the John Radcliffe Hospital and it was only on the second occasion that with some persuasion I got the doctors to take it more seriously and she was given a CT scan.

“I just thought it was precautionary and that we would be sent away with the migraine diagnosis confirmed.

“But the doctor told us there was something showing on the scan and that Gail would need an MRI scan.”

The family’s worst fears were confirmed. Gail had a brain tumour and following a biopsy they were told the prognosis was a year, maybe five years at most. Radiotherapy was arranged and a mask made but, on December 7, before Gail’s treatment had started, her condition suddenly deteriorated drastically, just after the birthday lunch.

“I rang the hospital and was told to give Gail morphine,” says Nick. “She became very sleepy which we put down to the morphine so I was advised to cut back the dosage and bring her back into hospital.

“By the time we got to the Churchill Hospital, Gail couldn’t walk and was in a lot of pain.

“Later in bed, almost unconscious at this stage, she suddenly opened her eyes and I was instantly comforted. However, she then started fitting – it was the first fit I had ever witnessed.

“I remember thinking how lucky we were that she didn’t have the seizure at home or even in the car, because we wouldn’t have been able to do anything to help her.”

Gail never recovered from the seizure. She was transferred to the John Radcliffe where her family were told that there wasn’t a lot more that could be done for her and that the end was near.

“Tests were carried out to confirm that she was unable to survive on her own and then we were asked to give permission for life-support to be switched off,” says Nick.

“Gail died very quickly afterwards. Her mum, brother and brother’s fiancée, our two children and I were all with her.

“It was a horrible experience, but I am glad it was all so quick and the children didn’t see her suffer or lose her hair.”

Gail left letters for her loved ones and told them not to be scared to laugh.

“She wanted me and our children, Jemma, 16, and Harry, 19, to carry on and enjoy life,” says Nick. “She left us in a good position and we are coping well in the circumstances.”

Now Nick and his children take part in fund-raising activities and are urging people to help fund research into the disease which devastates thousands of families each year.

“So much more needs to be done to discover more effective treatments and ultimately a cure so that other families in the future don’t face the same tragedy as ours – losing a much loved wife and mother.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Wear A Hat Day, the UK’s major brain tumour awareness event, raises money to improve the lives of patients and help find a cure.

The event, on Friday March 27, is the culmination of national Brain Tumour Awareness Month and will see people from businesses, schools, universities, shops and offices, donning beanies and boaters, top hats and trilbies, fascinators and fedoras, and making donations to Brain Tumour Research.

In Oxford, Beth Paton will be running a Wear A Hat Day Workshop the week before (March 21) at Fusion Arts for people to make their own headgear. It runs from 2pm to 5pm, costs £25 and all proceeds will go to the charity. Details at mme-b-boutique.com.

Liz Felix, milliner in Henley will be selling Wear A Hat Day wristbands and inviting people in for a coffee and to make a donation. Liz has been inspired to support the event because a good friend collapsed on her 18th birthday and it was found she had a brain tumour. Happily she has survived but suffers with epilepsy and cannot drive.

Sarah Hall, owner of Madhatter Bookshop in Burford, says: “Everyone will be invited to bring along their favourite hat. We will take a photographs of every hat and at the end of the day choose an overall winner who will receive a book token as a prize. Anyone entering the competition will be encouraged to donate to Brain Tumour Research.

I am hoping that Burford’s primary school will also join in in some way.

I think we will have a lot of fun as hats ALWAYS make people smile!”