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My wonderful son Marcus came downstairs on the afternoon of 22nd May 2016 and showed me a rash that had developed under his eyes. I thought it was an allergic reaction to some antibiotics that he had been given on the previous Friday, after having some dental treatment done.

I decided to take him to out of hours, who wouldn't see him, due to it being a dental issue. They told us that we would have to go back to the dentist who he'd seen on the Friday. I then rang 111 and explained the situation and they told us to go to A & E. When we got there, the Dr gave Marcus some alternative antibiotics and we went to collect them at the hospital pharmacy. While we sat waiting, he turned to me and said that he didn't feel very well and when I looked at him, his left eye was blinking rapidly and his mouth had drooped to one side.

I shouted for help and he was taken straight back to the A & E department. The Dr arranged for Marcus to have a CT scan and when he returned, I was told that the image showed an abnormality, but it wasn't clear what it was. They admitted him onto the Acute Stroke unit. He had no other symptoms and didn't have any other episodes, like the one he'd had while waiting at the pharmacy, After three days, he was sent home and was told that the specialists at Leeds General Infirmary would send him an appointment to go there.

As it turned out, Marcus underwent various tests, MRI scans etc and was diagnosed with a probable low grade 2 glioma. They gave him the options of watch and wait, biopsy or surgery. Marcus was determined right from the start that he was having surgery, as he wanted it out.

Marcus attended every hospital appointment, and was confident that the neurosurgeon was going to be able to help him. Eventually, surgery was arranged for 21st February 2017.

During the waiting time, Marcus started to develop partial facial seizures, which only lasted for a few minutes, and despite this, he carried on working. 

However, in recent weeks, he had a couple of seizures, where he was falling to the floor. This made him a bit wary about going to work on his own, and the GP gave him a sick note for two weeks. 

On Tuesday 31st January, Marcus had sent me a video via Facebook messenger at 8.49 that morning. I replied and he replied again to me. At lunchtime, I sent him a text, asking him if he was going to have some homemade soup for lunch. I didn't receive a reply, and although that wasn't really unusual, I didn't think about it again until later that day. At 3pm, I suddenly had a thought that I should go home and check on Marcus. I sent him another text before I left the house saying that I was coming home to check on him, seeing as I hadn't heard from him for a while. I drove home and when I opened the door, I shouted my usual, "Hi!" and normally I would, have got a "Hi" back. Nothing.

I looked in the lounge and the kitchen first, and then when I didn't see him in either of those places, I knew that something was very wrong and that he would be in his bedroom. When I opened the door, he was lying on the floor, face down, and his head was wedged between his bed and the bedside table. I ran over to him, frantically shouting his name, and feeling for a pulse, feeling his skin, neck, etc, but I couldn't move him and he was unreactive. All this while, I was on the phone to the ambulance controller, and he was telling me that I should move Marcus and get him onto his back. It was impossible, I couldn't move him at all. I was then asked to go out into the street and find someone who could come and  help me move Marcus. 

I went and got a neighbour and he pushed the bed back a bit and was able to pull Marcus out from the position that he was in. As soon as I seen Marcus's face, I knew it was far too late. His lips were blue and I knew he was gone. 

I was now in hysterics by this time and the ambulance first response lady arrived and I opened the door to her and told her she was too late. She went into Marcus's room and checked and came and told me he was gone.

I will never ever forget those images for the rest of my life. I will never be able to live with the guilt.

Marcus had to be taken to the mortuary, where they did a CT post mortem. The result of that was - death caused by epileptic convulsion as a result of a brain tumour.

And now, I have to say goodbye to my darling son on 24th February 2016.

I've had such wonderful comforting and heartfelt messages from all his friends that he made at university in Aberystwyth and from all his friends that he worked with at Capita in Leeds and from all our friends from Ellon, Aberdeenshire and here in West Yorkshire.

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart, as does Nick (Marcus's stepdad, and Elisha, his beautiful sister.

Thank you everyone for your help and support, you'll never know how much it is appreciated.