Antiques Roadshow expert has said she potentially only has a ‘year or two’ left after getting the horrific diagnosis. Theo Burrell, who is only 36, has a young son and said she had undergone ‘months of surgery’.
She joined the BBC show in 2018 and was diagnosed for the first time last year with an aggressive grade 4 glioblastoma. The Sun reported she said: “The young mum said: “Receiving my diagnosis, at the age of 35, when my son was one year old, was devastating.
“Overnight everything had changed. Suddenly I’d gone from being a healthy person in the middle of my life with a new baby to having incurable cancer with maybe only a year or two left to live. What followed was months of surgery and treatment to try and prolong my life.
“And although I continue to make the best of each day, my tumour will return and it will kill me. My care has been excellent and new advances in science have helped me fight cancer so far.
“However, only by funding research into brain tumours can we get closer to a life-saving cure.”
Theo, who joined the Antiques Road show team in 2020, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share how her employer Lyon and Turnbull Auction House are currently running an online fundraising auction to raise funds for The brain Tumour Charity.
She said: “It’s day two of Piece of Mind: The Brain Tumour Charity auction which we’re running @lyonandturnbull in aid of @thebraintumourcharity.
“This time last year I was diagnosed with an incurable aggressive grade 4 brain tumour. Since then I’ve had surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy to keep the cancer under control. But my friends and I are doing something positive in light of this by running a fundraising auction - with many incredible lots!”
“Despite 12,000 people being diagnosed every year with a primary brain tumour, survival rates have barely improved in 40 years.” A spokesperson for the Glasgow-based firm said: “The sale features an enticing range of kindly donated lots that include experience days, works of art, memorabilia and more. All to benefit the excellent work of The Brain Tumour Charity.”
There are 2 main types of brain tumours:
- non-cancerous (benign) brain tumours – these are low grade (grade 1 or 2), which means they grow slowly and are less likely to return after treatment
- cancerous (malignant) brain tumours – these are high grade (grade 3 or 4) and either start in the brain (primary tumours) or spread into the brain from elsewhere (secondary tumours); they're more likely to grow back after treatment
Symptoms of a brain tumour
The symptoms of a brain tumour vary depending on the exact part of the brain affected.
Common symptoms include:
- headaches
- seizures (fits)
- persistently feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting) and drowsiness
- mental or behavioural changes, such as memory problems or changes in personality
- progressive weakness or paralysis on one side of the body
- vision or speech problems
