Newlywed Plans to Start a Family Despite Brain Tumor Diagnosis and Limited Time: 'Leaving a Legacy'

Two weeks after returning from their honeymoon, 31-year-old Tom Chapman, a former professional rugby player from London, was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor, with doctors giving him just five years to live. Tom and his wife Vicky, also a professional athlete, are now planning IVF to try to experience parenthood before the disease progresses.

The couples life changed dramatically on March 16, when Tom suffered a seizure at home shortly after their honeymoon in Sri Lanka. What was supposed to be the beginning of our married life turned into a nightmare, Tom recounted. He described waking up on the floor surrounded by paramedics, with Vicky having performed CPR after his seizure lasted around seven minutes.

Tom was taken to University Hospital Lewisham in London, where scans revealed a brain tumor roughly the size of a toilet roll tube. Initially thought to be a slow-growing grade 2 glioma, surgery was scheduled to remove the tumor. The consultant mentioned it may have been developing since childhood but hadnt caused symptoms until now, Tom explained.

However, after surgery on April 15, pathology confirmed the tumor was actually a grade 4 astrocytoma, a fast-growing and aggressive form. Hearing grade four was devastating, Tom said. I asked what caused it and what the options were, but the answers were limited. It highlighted the lack of research investment in brain tumors, which impacts patients directly.

Following surgery, Tom underwent chemotherapy and radiation at Royal Marsden Hospital and is now participating in a clinical trial aimed at extending his life. I want to fight this disease and maintain as normal a life as possible, he stated.

Meanwhile, the couple is sharing their story to raise awareness and support for brain tumor research. Time is critical for brain tumor patients, which is why research funding is so important, Tom said. I refuse to be defined by averages or statistics.

Despite the diagnosis, Vicky remains hopeful about starting a family. She plans to begin IVF in January, believing Tom will have the chance to experience fatherhood. If it works, he gets to be a dad; if not, we still have something of him left behind, she said. No one is guaranteed tomorrow, so were focusing on what we can do now.

Author: Grace Ellison