Brain tumour survivor and her twins thank hospital that saved her life

Hannah Hill from Haydock is a remarkable survivor, she was just 18 when her life took an unexpected turn after having a sudden seizure and being taken to the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary.

A CT scan led to the discovery of aggressive tumour glioblastoma and on September 27, 2006, just two days before her 19th birthday she underwent brain surgery to remove it.

Hannah endured 30 sessions of intense radiotherapy, followed by seven months of chemotherapy with a trial drug at The Christie.

It was during this period that she received the news that, due to the damage to her pituitary gland, she would not be able to conceive a child naturally.

Hannah on her wedding day (Image: Public)

Hannah said: “Although when growing up all I wanted was to be a mum; being told at 19 I couldn’t get pregnant naturally was not my priority - beating this horrible cancer was.

“But as I grew a little older, and the cancer was at bay, being a mum was at the forefront of my mind again.

“Adoption was definitely the way forward for us, as I knew if we tried and failed to conceive, I would lay the blame on myself.”

In May 2007, Hannah went for another scan, and to her astonishment, it revealed the tumour had disappeared. She continued chemotherapy for two more months and was told she was cancer free in July 2007.

The following year Hannah went to Australia with her sister and friends, where she met her future husband Mike Hill at a rugby league match.

Three years later, they got married and were offered hormone treatment to assist Hannah in conceiving, but she declined and opted to explore adoption.

Hannah Hill's baby twins (Image: Public)

A few months later, Hannah began to feel unwell and after experiencing various symptoms, she took a pregnancy test that yielded an unexpected positive result.

When Hannah and Mike went to the hospital together, not knowing what to expect, to their surprise, a scan revealed not one but two heartbeats.

Against the odds, Hannah is now the proud mum of twins - a son Thomas and daughter Alice both now aged eight years old.

She added: “I remember the scan well, there was a trained midwife, that was practising scanning and a consultant training her. They explained to me, before the scan, that they would leave the room to discuss the findings and then come and tell us the results.

“She began to scan me, looking at the screen and at each other, we feared the worse, I was not supposed to get pregnant, so a happy scan was not expected… “They left the room and entered back within seconds.

The midwife said ‘So, Hannah and Mike, here is heart beat one…and here is heartbeat two!! My husband almost fainted and I cried with happiness.”

Hannah, now 36, and her family want to thank The Christie hospital that saved her life and allowed her to become a mum by raising much needed funds for The Christie Charity.

Hannah, who now lives in Wigan, will be joined by her mother, sister-in-law, and her twins Thomas and Alice on Sunday, November 26 as they take part in The Christie Charity Festive Dash in Heaton Park, Manchester.

It is a 5K, walk, jog, or run where participants dress up in festive costumes to get into the Christmas spirit.

Hannah and her twins, now eight (Image: Public)

The dash starts at 10.30am, with entertainment and refreshments from 9.30am to 12 noon.

For more details about The Christie Festive Dash go to: The Christie Festive Dash Lindsey Farthing from The Christie Charity says: “Hannah’s story is incredibly inspiring. It really highlights the importance of the work of The Christie hospital and the role The Christie Charity plays in ensuring patients are offered the very best and latest cancer treatments.

“We’re delighted that Hannah and her family will be joining us for our Festive Dash. It promises to be a fantastic event.”

To support the work of The Christie Charity, go to Donate today (christie.nhs.uk) or ring 0161 4463988.