Joshua Howell's story

Unknown to Joshua, a tumour had been in his brain for about 2 – 3 years before there were any signs. Joshua’s trouble first started in September 1999. One month previously, his father, Lawrence, was hospitalized following a heart attack. At age 13, Joshua started having ‘funny turns’ which was put down to the stress caused by his father’s ill health. This continued for some time and in March 2000, Joshua had a seizure. He was immediately sent for an EEG at the Nuffield Hospital in Hove, where the doctors found nothing wrong and sent him home. The ‘funny turns’ continued for some time and gradually worsened until Joshua eventually became really ill.

Just as Joshua was embarking on his GCSE’s at the age of 15, he started having unbearable pain in his head and eyes and being sick every evening. “It was unbearable,” said Joshua. “Really horrible.”

Joshua’s mother, Sharon, arranged for an emergency doctor to examine him, but found nothing physically wrong with him although noted he seemed “very subdued”. He also spotted a problem with his eyes which lead to Joshua being referred to the Children’s Hospital and then the eye hospital, where they immediately referred him for a cat scan at Sussex County Hospital. At this stage Joshua, Sharon and Lawrence knew something was seriously wrong.

The scan results revealed a tumour the size of an apple on the right side of his head, behind his eye. “I could tell by the look on the doctors face that something was very wrong”, said Joshua. “ It was unreal, I expected there to be music like there is as the end of Eastenders or in films when scary things happen.”

Joshua was transferred to Southampton General Hospital where neurologists operated on him to remove the tumour. What should have been a two hour operation, lasted for seven. One of Joshua’s main fears was waking up in the middle of the operation. “ I suppose it seems a bit silly now that I’ve come through it but I was so worried at the time. There were so many emotions whirling around inside me that I suppose I got carried away. It was very hard to stay calm.”

Joshua worried more about the anaesthetic than having his head shaved and a big scar. (In fact, Joshua shows off his scar in the Headstrong booklets!).

“I suppose everyone finds something different to worry about. Some of the other children in my ward facing the same operation were really worried about having their heads shaved, but they weren’t really worried about the anaesthetic.” He continues, “I really like my scar now. It’s become a part of me and makes me more unique – or at least that’s how I like to think of it!”

It’s not easy for anyone recovering from brain surgery and for Joshua it was all the more difficult because he had missed so much at school at such an important time in his life. His family, friends and teachers helped him through and he gradually built up the time he had lost. At first, he was completely exhausted after just one lesson but he persevered. His hard work paid off and he passed 10 GCSEs in 2003.

Joshua, now 18, can put his illness behind him. He is currently studying geography, media studies and computing / ICT (Information Communication Technology) at college, and plans to study computing at university. He also has a part-time job at a local supermarket and hopes to use the money he earns for driving lessons.

“I thought it was the end of the world sitting at home with a sore head but being involved in the Brain and Spine Foundation’s Headstrong project has been a really positive experience for me and one that I have really enjoyed. I feel a lot of good has come out of it.”