Laura Nuttall: Mum says things feel bleak after removed tumour returns

The mother of a woman who has lived for four years with a terminal brain cancer diagnosis has said "things feel pretty bleak" after her daughter's tumour grew back within days of being removed.

Laura Nuttall, from Barrowford in Lancashire, was given 12 months to live in 2018 and recently underwent her fourth major surgery.

The 22-year-old had been completing a bucket list while undergoing treatment.

Nicola Nuttall said her family were now "thinking of moving Christmas forward".

Writing on Twitter, she said despite the recent surgery, it was "bad news I'm afraid".

"Laura's tumour has grown back within two weeks of surgery and moved into new areas of the brain, explaining her headaches," she said.

"Radiotherapy has been brought forward to Monday, but things feel pretty bleak."

She said her family had "thoroughly investigated" a number of other treatments, but Laura was "not a suitable candidate", and she "already takes cannabis oil", which can be used to treat some cancers.

"My heart is broken," she added.

Her daughter, who graduated from the University of Manchester in July, was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme in 2018, following a routine eye test, but has defied her initial prognosis.

She has raised money for brain cancer charities while ticking of a bucket list of ambitions, which has included meeting former US First Lady Michelle Obama, commanding a Royal Navy warship and presenting a BBC weather forecast.

In 2021, comedian Peter Kay played his first gigs in four years to raise money for her treatment.

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