Yorkshire student diagnosed with brain tumour - as his mother battled breast cancer

When Ned Hilton, 22, lost hearing in his right ear, he thought little of it - until a scan the following year revealed he had a cancerous tumour.

The languages student then began undergoing treatment, including 22 hours of surgery in one week in a bid to combat the growth.

This came at the same time his mum, Ruth Hilton, 53, was diagnosed with breast cancer - and began her own set of treatments.

The brave pair took on their diseases and, although Ned has been left with facial palsy, thankfully both are now on the road to recovery.

Ned, from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, said: “As I began the second year of my degree, I never imagined I’d receive news that I had a brain tumour. At first, I was intrigued and I carried on enjoying being a student.

"When I found out the tumour was high-grade, I remember doctors explaining the risks to my mum and me. Everything became more real. Mum and I had to spend some time apart whilst we both received treatment at the same time, in different parts of the country.

"That was hard, but I think it has certainly made me resilient.”

Ned had just began his first year studying at University of Birmingham in 2017 when he began to lose hearing in his right ear.

Audiologists ran tests and confirmed the hearing was gone, but Ned was determined to continue the first year of his degree.

It wasn't until September 2018 when Ned was referred for an MRI scan that he learned the hearing loss was caused by a tumour in his brain.

Initially the languages student wasn't too worried as it was believed to be a low-grade acoustic neuroma, which is unlikely to develop into something more serious.

But four months later, keen cyclist and runner Ned noticed his face began to droop, after a friend pointed it out.

A second MRI showed that, devastatingly, his tumour was in fact high-grade and would need surgery.

He said: "At first, I was intrigued and I carried on enjoying being a student. When I found out the tumour was high-grade, I became more concerned, as did my family."

In April 2019, Ned had two surgeries within the space of a week, followed by a week in intensive care.

Following that, a biopsy revealed his tumour was a grade 4 medulloblastoma, the most common high-grade paediatric brain tumour.

It was then that Ned learned his mum Ruth, director at Englesea Brook Chapel and Museum in Cheshire, was fighting a battle of her own.

All the way up in Manchester, she began treatment at the Christie Hospital for breast cancer.

Ned went on to complete a six-week course of intensive radiotherapy, followed by gruelling chemotherapy, which lasted 36 weeks.

His treatment forced him to take a leave of absence from his degree.

Ned said: “Our family had experienced so much devastation in such a short space of time. Mum and I had to spend some time apart whilst we both received treatment at the same time, in different parts of the country."

The side effects of the tumour and invasive surgeries meant Ned suffered from a drooping on one side of the face known as facial palsy.

He underwent surgery in September 2020, which succeeded in repairing his nerve endings.

And, after her own series of treatments to fight the cancer, Ruth has now returned to her work, fit and well.

Thanks to the ongoing care and monitoring of her oncologist, she was offered an extra, new 12-month drug treatment.

Since his treatment, Ned’s scans have remained clear and he continues to be monitored - and he returned to university in September 2021.

Now, he is continuing to work towards gaining a BA in Modern Languages, he has already defied the odds, spending three months in Russia as part of his placement year.

Ned added: “This was my way of saying to the world, ‘yes, I am a slightly different person but my ambitions are still the same’.”

His story has inspired his friends and family alike to fundraise for Brain Tumour Research, a charity funding brain tumour research and campaigning the Government and other charities to do the same.

Last year his best friend and his godfather raised more than £10,000 running the London Marathon.

This year it is his dad Rob Hilton, 56, who will be taking on the same event to raise money for the same charity - after becoming Ned's full time carer during his radio and chemotherapy treatment.

And another pal is organising an event called 'Not The London Marathon' where people sign up to run whatever distance they can, in a bid to raise money to find a cure for the disease.

Mel Tiley, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re incredibly thankful to Ned for sharing his story with us. We are pleased to hear that his surgery and treatment have been successful.

"We’re grateful to his friends and family who have been inspired to take on their own fundraising to help find a cure for the disease. Ned’s story reminds us that brain tumours are indiscriminate and can affect anyone at any age."