Man diagnosed with serious condition after he suddenly becomes horny and aggressive

'I had a positive attitude and genuinely believed I would be alright, but I was terrified inside'

Shaun Turner discovered he had an orange-sized mass on his brain in 2014 after he lost his sense of smell and eyesight.

The 48-year-old said he experienced personality changes which involved being "really horny and aggressive".

Shortly after his diagnosis, Shaun underwent an operation to remove the tumour, but there are still traces of cancer in his brain that are monitored during regular scans.

The family were hit by the disease once again in December 2018 when they lost Shaun's mum, Jill Turner, to a glioblastoma - a fast-growing and aggressive brain tumour.

Jill was initially misdiagnosed with a mental breakdown and died just four months later.

Dad-of-two Shaun, a Bosun at Red Funnel, from East Cowes, Isle of Wight, said before he was diagnosed he was "very chilled and easygoing with loads of energy".

But then he got "really tired all the time, really horny and aggressive".

“In all honesty when I found out it didn't feel real. My entire family and friends were all so worried about it that I didn't feel able to show any weakness or that it fazed me," Shaun explained.

"I had a positive attitude and genuinely believed I would be alright, but I was terrified inside.

"I believe there are very small traces left which is what I had radiotherapy for in December 2020.”

As well as experiencing changes in his mood, Shaun had been gradually losing his sight, so his wife booked an eye test. An anomaly was found, leading to a scan and the discovery of an orange-sized mass on his brain.

Shaun's brother, Daniel, an electrician, also from East Cowes, said: “For the disease to have struck our family twice was shocking and we have asked doctors the likelihood of passing it onto our children but they have said it is purely bad luck."

The 36-year-old continued: "My brother has had genetic testing and there is nothing to prove it is in your family gene – it’s just awful luck."

Daniel said it is "vitally important" for the family to support charities focusing on the research into brain tumours, "so we can help find better treatment options and eventually find a cure for the disease"

"It’s too late for my mum, but for people like Shaun who are living with the disease, we must progress the research of brain tumours and bring it in line with advances in the treatment of other cancers," he said.

Daniel was amongst of team of nine cyclists who took on the 68-mile Isle of Wight Randonnée on 1 July to raise money for the charity Brain Tumour Research.

Dozens of cyclists completed the route around the island raising more than £10,000.

In the UK, 16,000 people each year are diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Dr Karen Noble, director of research, policy, and innovation at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are sorry to hear this has happened in Daniel’s family, but are grateful for all his fundraising efforts. "Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age.

"To have these two diagnoses in the same family is an extremely rare occurrence, less than a one in a million chance.

"If we are to change the stark facts around survival of this disease, then we simply must invest more into discovery science – the route to a cure.”

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