Brain tumour survivor aims to walk down the aisle

A woman who was told she was at “imminent risk” of paralysis and death due to a brain tumour has said that thanks to the work of NHS staff it was now an "achievable goal" for her to walk down the aisle to get married after her partner proposed to her.

Jody Ellis, 41, from Skipton, was only given a 20% chance of surviving surgery after a large mass was detected at the base of her skull in June 2023.

Ms Ellis spent 14 months recovering in hospitals in Leeds after an operation and she had to re-learn how to walk, talk and swallow.

Her neurosurgeon, Mr Asim Sheikh, said being able to save Ms Ellis' life and see her recover to a “semi-independent position” had been a “remarkable journey”.

Before a brain scan revealed the life-threatening tumour, Ms Ellis said she had been struggling with weakness and balance issues.

Mr Sheikh said that when Ms Ellis was first examined, "she was at imminent risk of significant neurological disability to dying".

A 12.5-hour operation at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) saved her life, but left her paralysed down the left-hand side of her body and right side of her face.

The tumour was in a “critical area” that made it “one of the hardest” operations that could be carried out, Mr Sheikh explained.

"Jody’s tumour was very tough and fibrous - and because all the very intricate cranial nerves were embedded within the tumour, we would expect them to have dysfunction afterwards," he said.

“It’s quite expected to go through a period where you’d require support for your speech, swallow and a tracheostomy, which is a tube to help your breathing."

Ms Ellis spent five months being cared for at the LGI before moving to the complex rehabilitation unit at Chapel Allerton Hospital in Leeds for a further nine months.

She said: “I never think, ‘why me’, because ‘why not me?'

“The tumour has happened, it’s been, it’s done and the only way forward is to get better.

“I’m not focusing on what I can’t do, I’m focusing on what I can do,” she said.

In July, a week before being discharged, Ms Ellis managed to walk – with the help of staff - across the hospital gymnasium to where her partner, Chris Clarke, was waiting to propose.

Ms Ellis accepted the proposal and said she had now set her sights on being able to walk down the aisle to get married.

“It felt good,” Ms Ellis said.

“Me and Chris have been all the way through this - and we’ve been very strong with each other.

“Chris does everything for me, in terms of speaking for me and standing up for me, so this is just the icing on the cake,” she added.

Mr Clarke said: “She’s amazing and has such determination that if Jody says she’s going to walk down the aisle, she will walk down the aisle."

When that happened, it would be "a very emotional time", Mr Clarke added.

Mr Sheikh said Ms Ellis was an “incredibly lucky person” to have survived such a dangerous tumour.

“From almost facing an inevitable life either completely paralysed - or even dying - to an extent where she’s able to communicate, talk, stand up and do most activities with minimal support has been an incredible improvement,” he said.

Ms Ellis is now continuing her rehabilitation in Manchester.

A date has yet to be set for the wedding.

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