Man ‘couldn’t read shampoo label’ – then needed brain surgery

A man who believed he was experiencing “lockdown anxiety” was stunned to discover his “vision loss and dizziness” was in fact a satsuma-sized brain tumour. Ollie Knight, 29, started experiencing vision difficulties and bouts of dizziness in September 2020 that left him “struggling to read”.

He was unable to read “small prints” and the reverse of shampoo bottles, but eventually visited the GP several months later when the fitness enthusiast was “forced to sit” during a run after feeling “giddy”. Worried, Ollie was referred for cognitive behavioural therapy, where doctors suggested it was likely “anxiety” from the consequences of lockdown.

But it wasn’t until April 2021 when he experienced a “suspected stroke” he was rushed to Luton and Dunstable Hospital where a CT scan revealed a mass the size of a satsuma on Ollie’s brain. He was transferred to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queen Square, London for a craniotomy – the removal of part of the bone from the skull to expose the brain – and was subsequently diagnosed with a grade 2 astrocytoma – a type of cancer that can develop in the brain or spinal cord.

Ollie commenced a course of radiotherapy and chemotherapy straight away and “lost” his independence. Since the “devastating” diagnosis, Ollie has experienced multiple seizures and lost his driving licence, which he later regained.

But determined not to surrender, he is now on anti-seizure medication and is due to marry his partner, Laura, 29, a data analyst, in June 2026. His mum, Heidi Knight, 57, a translation project manager from St Albans, said: “Ollie has always been sporty and determined. So when we received the diagnosis of grade 2 astrocytoma, it was devastating.

“There was a time when I truly believed I might lose my son either on the operating table or to a life severely limited by damage. Instead, his story has become one of resilience and hope.”

Ollie was 24 and working as a consultant in London when he started experiencing subtle-but-concerning symptoms, including vision problems and dizziness. It left him “unable to read”, but being fit and active he dismissed the warning signs as stress until he nearly collapsed on a run and visited his GP.

Heidi said: “When he mentioned feeling giddy on a run one day and had to sit down, he didn’t think much of it. A runner passing by even stopped to check he was okay. Ollie laughed it off and carried on, but looking back, that was the first red flag.”

She added: “He started saying his vision would ‘go funny’ sometimes and he convinced himself it was exhaustion. But then COVID hit and it got worse.”

Surgeons successfully extracted 80 per cent of the tumour, but three days afterwards he experienced a full tonic-clonic seizure and was subsequently diagnosed with a grade 2 astrocytoma – a malignant brain tumour with a poor prognosis, where 45 per cent of patients survive for five years or longer. Ollie commenced anti-seizure medication – alongside radiotherapy and chemotherapy immediately – and he progressively lost his independence.

Heidi said: “I got a phone call from his fianceé and she was in an ambulance with Ollie. Doctors thought he might be having a stroke.

“But brain tumours are cruel like that, the symptoms are often so ordinary. It was devastating.

“Because of COVID, me and my husband [Roger] couldn’t even sit with him the night before. So instead, we chatted on Zoom.”

She added: “Ollie went through radiotherapy and chemotherapy. He lost some of his hair, which was hard for someone so young and active, but he handled it with quiet strength. Ollie did not let the tumour define him.”

Following his diagnosis, Ollie has endured multiple seizures, but he has gone on to complete a master’s degree in Sports Performance Analysis at the University of Gloucestershire and secured the highest grade. Today, he is employed by English Heritage as a business intelligence executive and is now seizure-free, preparing to wed Laura in June this year.

In honour of her son, Heidi is stepping out to walk 13.1 miles at the Bath Ultra Challenge to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research on Saturday, March 28. It forms part of a national effort to shine a spotlight on a devastating disease that affects thousands of families across the UK.

“Ollie is still living with a brain tumour, but it has not stopped him living a full, meaningful life,” Heidi said. “I’m walking the Ultra challenge around Bath.

“I’ve previously walked 50k with Ollie and Laura and together we raised £2,000, but this challenge feels different; I am doing this on my own. It’s about giving back, raising awareness and funding research so outcomes improve.”

Letty Greenfield, community fundraising manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Heidi for taking on the Bath Ultra Challenge during Brain Tumour Awareness Month. Stories like Ollie’s remind us why our work is so vital. Brain tumours remain underfunded compared to other cancers, yet they devastate so many families. Supporters like Heidi are helping us to give hope to everyone affected by this disease.”

To support Heidi’s fundraising efforts, visit her fundraising page.