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Lachlan Lindsay’s diagnosis of a brain tumour came when he was just eight years old. Thankfully, surgeons were able to intervene quickly, and Lachlan made a promising recovery. This difficult episode was a source of great concern for his family in Stonehaven, a challenge they hoped would never have to face again. However, six years later, Lachlan’s younger cousin, Hazel Dempster, began experiencing troubling headaches. After a referral from her GP in Kirkcudbright, she underwent a scan that revealed a brain tumour.
During a reassuring phone call before Hazel’s first MRI, Lachlan lightened the mood, joking, “Imagine if we both had a brain tumour.” Within days, the 12-year-old was in emergency neurosurgery to relieve fluid buildup caused by a tumour exceeding the size of a golf ball. Hazel, now 16, described the situation as “a massive shock because the likelihood of [two cousins having brain tumours] is so minuscule.” She also reflected on the bond she shares with Lachlan, saying, “I think I’ve probably got a closer relationship with Lachlan now because it’s something me and him can relate to that practically nobody else in our life can.”
Neither Hazel nor Lachlan’s tumours can be surgically removed due to their critical locations in the brain. Despite this, their conditions have no known genetic connection, which the cousins and their family attribute to sheer misfortune. Hazel shared with BBC Scotland News that humor has helped them cope, stating, “To me, having a brain tumour is just part of me, it’s not something big or that big a deal. It’s just part of me, it’s like my arm, my leg, my brain tumour.”
Hazel’s tumour, an optic chiasm pilocytic astrocytoma, is slow-growing and affects her vision by pressing on her optic nerve. Since undergoing emergency surgery at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, Hazel has needed six more operations and intensive chemotherapy. This treatment caused a range of side effects, including persistent nerve pain that made everyday tasks, such as handling zips or buttons, difficult. A weakened immune system also forced Hazel to miss out on many normal childhood activities. Nevertheless, she now manages her condition with daily oral chemotherapy, which allows her a relatively normal lifestyle punctuated by regular medical check-ups. Last summer, her family even went on a rail trip across Europe. Hazel also excelled academically, earning high marks in her National 5 exams, and was honored with a Chief Scout Unsung Hero award for her leadership in the local Scout troop.
Lachlan, currently a first-year student at the University of Aberdeen, was diagnosed with a tectal plate glioma after a scan following his development of a slight squint and intermittent headaches. He recalls vividly the moments surrounding his diagnosis and treatment: “I remember being taken to hospital… I remember the diagnosis. I
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