Dad who thought he had hay fever gets brain tumor diagnosis

By George Jones

A dad who thought he was suffering from hay fever was shocked to find his watery eyes and runny nose were symptoms of an "aggressive" brain tumor.

Jamie Jennings, 47, began experiencing "mild allergy symptoms" in May 2025 - such as watery eyes, fatigue and a runny nose, which at first he "thought was hay fever."

But throughout the month, his condition worsened and he became "totally confused and couldn't focus" - and said he "felt like a rabbit in the headlights."

Concerned, Jamie went to his GP and was referred for a CT and MRI scan at St John's Hospital in Livingston.

The scans revealed a lesion on his brain, and just days later, specialists at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh delivered the devastating news that Jamie had glioblastoma - an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer.

Doctors gave the dad-of-one a heartbreaking prognosis of just three to six months to live without treatment.

But, determined to fight, Jamie began a six-week course of radiotherapy alongside oral chemotherapy in July 2025.

He has since transitioned to a six-month course of chemotherapy tablets and is now managing the best he can.

In a bid to turn his pain into purpose, Jamie's wife, Sharon, 47, and their son, Kai, 15, will take part in the Motherwell Walk of Hope on September 27, to help raise vital funds for the Scottish Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence.

Sharon, a nursery practitioner from Broxburn, West Lothian, Scotland, said: "Jamie's just one of life's good guys.

"He's kind, caring and always there for others.

"He was fit, active, and took brilliant care of himself, even with type 1 diabetes.

"We are still coming to terms with his diagnosis.

"Glioblastoma is brutal, but we want to raise awareness and support the research that could lead to a cure."

Jamie went to his GP in May 2025 for his "mild allergy symptoms," thinking it was just hay fever.

But a CT and MRI at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, days later, confirmed that he actually had a cancerous brain tumor.

Sharon said: "At first, we thought it was just hay fever.

"But, by Thursday, he looked totally confused and couldn't focus.

"He said he felt like a rabbit in the headlights.

"That's when I knew something was wrong and called our GP."

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She added: "I went to work and was really concerned, hoping they would get to the bottom of what was wrong.

"That's when Jamie called and asked me to go to the hospital straight away.

"I knew it could be bad news and the 10-minute drive felt like forever.

"But I never imagined how serious the outcome would be."

The scans revealed a lesion on Jamie's brain, and he was told a few days later that he had a glioblastoma - an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer - and was given a prognosis of three to six months.

“The hospital didn’t even need the biopsy to confirm it was a cancerous brain tumor,” said Sharon.

“The specialists said they could tell just from the scan.

"But a biopsy would help with his treatment, so they did one anyway.

"Without treatment, they told us Jamie might only have three to six months to live.

"With treatment, maybe one to two years.

"It felt like the ground had been ripped out from under us.”

Doctors initially prescribed Jamie a six-week course of radiotherapy and oral chemotherapy.

But the treatment left him bloated from steroids, mentally foggy, and constantly exhausted – a stark contrast to the active man he had always been.

Now, he's on a six-month course of chemo tablets and is managing the best he can.

Sharon and their son Kai will be taking part in the Motherwell Walk of Hope to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research this Saturday.

Jamie and other friends and family are planning to attend and support them on the day.

Sharon said: “I found Brain Tumour Research after Jamie was diagnosed and was shocked by how pitiful the funding for research into this disease is.

"When I saw the Walk of Hope in Motherwell, I knew we had to be there as a family.

"I needed something to focus on – something that felt like we were helping and this was the ideal opportunity.

“Every step helps bring us closer to a cure.”

Ashley McWilliams, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Jamie’s story is heartbreaking, but it’s also a testament to the strength and love within families facing this disease.

"We’re incredibly grateful to Sharon, Kai and Jamie for raising awareness and funds to help us get closer to a cure.

"We look forward to joining them at the Walk of Hope.”