Denise wasn’t overly concerned by the whirring noise, until an MRI showed what was causing it

A mum who was told by a specialist that a whirring sound in her right ear was tinnitus was later diagnosed with a brain tumour – and had to undergo major surgeries. Denise Wingfield, 55, struggled to sleep because of the dull, “funny” noise and was referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist where she was told she had tinnitus.

But following an MRI, doctors found an anomaly in her brain. A month later Denise underwent a nine-hour awake craniotomy – and was diagnosed with grade 2 oligodendroglioma – a rare brain tumour. She had further surgery following complications from the craniotomy.

The mum-of-three had six weeks of radiotherapy, followed by four rounds of chemotherapy and is still being monitored. A recent scan in January 2024 showed the tumour had grown.

Denise, a previous kitchen assistant at a care home, from Bristol, said: “I had no symptoms other than a funny noise in my ear. When I tried to sleep at night it seemed louder although it was there all the time – I never for a moment imagined it was caused by a brain tumour.

“Due to my tumour being slow growing, my medical team want to wait for further growth before they place me on another treatment plan – including a less brutal version of chemotherapy. Although it’s scary to know that it is still growing, I am being scanned regularly which offers some comfort.”

Denise was referred to a specialist in October 2019 and was diagnosed with grade 2 oligodendroglioma in November of the same year. She struggles with fatigue and minor balance issues but is passionate about raising money for Brain Tumour Research.

Last month she hosted a coffee morning for Wear a Hat Day and in May Denise will be doing a ‘200k in May’ challenge. She can run, jog, run, cycle and swim the distance over the month for Brain Tumour Research.

Denise said: “Walking has become quite therapeutic for me. I’m able to put on my headphones with some music and get on with putting one front of the other, being mindful in the moment. I’ve found myself wanting to live my life to the full.

“In the years since surgery, I have travelled and taken part in adrenaline-fuelled activities including a zip wire with my son from the end of Bournemouth pier to the beach.”

Louise Aubrey, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Sadly Denise’s story is not unique. In the UK, 16,000 people each year are diagnosed with a brain tumour, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours since records began in 2022.”