A dad died months after his family noticed he was becoming forgetful.
Malcolm Christie, 53, was misdiagnosed twice after going to the doctors when his family noticed some forgetful behaviours.
The dad of two, first went to doctors in 2021 and was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. However not believing the diagnosis was correct he went back to doctors months later and was told he had early onset dementia and referred to a memory clinic.
It wasn't until his family noticed he was 'dragging his feet like a child' and 'forgetting the name of their Amazom Alexa speaker' that wife Jill made him go for a private scan.
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And it was then, in February 2022, that he was given the devastating diagnosis he in fact had an aggressive brain tumour.
Daughter Amy, 20, said: “He would sometimes steer the car into the opposite lane of oncoming traffic. It became quite dangerous, and I had to grab the steering wheel a few times.
“Dad couldn’t remember the name of the smart speaker, so he was unable to turn it on.
"There is a family history of dementia so we thought he may have had that."
An MRI scan showed that Malcolm, who was an IT manager, had a huge tumour measuring 9cm x 6cm on his brain and doctors told the family the tumour would have been there for about six years.
Malcolm's wife Jill, 56, said: "He was sent straight for surgery at The Walton Centre in Liverpool, but they could only remove 25% of the tumour.
"I knew nothing about brain tumours and couldn’t believe Malcolm had this huge mass that had been hiding from us. It suddenly turned our world upside down.
Malcolm, also dad to Lewis, 22, underwent chemotherapy but had to stop after six days because it was affecting his liver.
He had six weeks of radiotherapy at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre but a scan at the end of June showed it had not shrunk the tumour.
By November, Malcolm needed to use a wheelchair and he suffered seizures. He spent 11 days at Queenscourt Hospice in Southport before returning home on 9 December.
He sadly died on Christmas Eve, 2022, with his loving family by his side.
Now, his family have a issued a warning to others after missing the symptoms of his cancer years before being given a terminal diagnosis.
Daughter, Amy, who is a police officer for Lancashire Police completed a tandem skydive in his memory, on Saturday 10 June, as part of Jump for Hope for Brain Tumour Research.
After jumping 10,000ft out of a plane over the weekend Amy has so far raised £1,600 for the charity battling her late dad's condition.
Amy added: “It has been such a tough year and I wouldn’t wish what happened to Dad on my worst enemy. If doing this skydive can help prevent others going through what we did, it is worth it. It was intense and exhilarating and literally took my breath away. I’ve always wanted to do a skydive so being able to do one while raising money for such a good cause was the perfect opportunity.
"Dad was terrified of heights, but he would be so proud of me.”
Wife Jill added: "Malcolm, Mol as he was known to his family and close friends, was respected and loved by everyone.
"For myself and our children, Lewis and Amy we remember him for his smile, giggle, always a thumbs up, never down.
"His mindset was ‘to never give up’ which he instilled into Lewis and Amy along with love, kindness and selflessness - he was the strongest man with the biggest heart, yep, pretty perfect.
"The effects of the brain tumour saw him leave us all way too soon, he was brave and courageous. We love and miss him beyond words."
Brain tumours are the largest killer of all cancers, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research goes to the cause since records began in 2002.
Matthew Price, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research said: “Unlike many other cancers, brain tumours are indiscriminate. They can affect anyone at any time. Too little is known about the causes and that is why increased investment in research is vital.”
“We’re really grateful to Amy for taking on such a big challenge. It’s only with the support of people like her that we’re able to progress our research into brain tumours and improve the outcome for patients like Malcolm who are forced to fight this awful disease.”, said Matthew.
Amy’s fundraiser in aid of Brain Tumour Research can be viewed and sponsored here.
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