A woman who went to the optician’s office after suffering from dry eyes has revealed she has only months to live.
Rachael Burns, 22, from Northern Ireland, had been suffering from migraines for several years but noticed her symptoms worsened after giving birth to her daughter Raeya, now one year old.
Ms Burns was sent home from an optician’s appointment with “dry eye” and given eye drops and glasses, but noticed her condition worsened dramatically to the point where her face became twisted.
When she was unable to open one eye, Rachael was eventually referred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.
She shared how her “world fell apart” after she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and given just one year to live.
A woman who went to the optician after suffering from dry eyes reveals how she only has a few months left to live
Rachael Burns, 22, from Northern Ireland, had been suffering from migraines for several years but noticed her symptoms worsened after giving birth to her daughter Raeya, now one year old.
Rachael said: ‘I was told the life expectancy for someone with my diagnosis was 12 months and I had already been showing symptoms for eight.
“I didn’t expect to receive such terrible news. I expected it to last at least a year or two. This affected me a lot mentally. I broke down.”
After experiencing the first painful symptoms in March 2023, Rachael had to spend several days in bed to relieve the pressure on her head.
She continued: ‘Specsavers said I had “dry eye” and double myopia. I was sent home with eye drops and glasses, which made me feel even more dizzy.
‘My eyesight worsened, leading me to walk in front of cars because of the blind spot on my right side. I could no longer take my daughter out of the house on my own because I was worried about putting her in danger.
“I felt like I was being dramatic and that led me to wait even longer to get help.”
Rachael was eventually diagnosed with a brain tumor in May 2024 following an urgent care referral, but because the tumor is located in Rachael’s brain stem, doctors are unable to operate to remove it.
The 22-year-old is currently undergoing 58 sessions of radiotherapy, including 30 sessions to the brain and 28 sessions to the spinal cord.
Rachael added: ‘Some days I wake up and my legs don’t work, and I cry in pain for hours.
Rachael was diagnosed with a brain tumor in May 2024 after being referred to an urgent care center. Pictured here with her younger brother Ryan
Rachael and her family are now in the process of raising funds through GoFundMe to pay for treatment that could prolong her life. Rachael is seen here with her family.
‘My partner, Robert, has had to take on most of the care of our daughter and it makes me feel very helpless, as if a large part of my motherhood is already being taken away from me.
“Some days I can walk without help and I can lift Raeya. All I can do is hope to have as many good days as possible because memories with my family are the only thing that matters to me now.
“I’m not ready to leave my family and my baby behind. One year is not enough time to experience the gift of motherhood and have it taken away from you.
“I’ll never see Raeya walk down the aisle, and for what? Just because of bad luck? It’s not fair. I may not be able to take her to her first day of school, but any extra day I get to spend with her will be a blessing, so I’ll fight with all my might to wake up with her every morning.
Rachael and her family are now in the process of raising funds through GoFundMe to pay for treatment that could prolong his life, and are already halfway to their goal of raising £150,000 to cover medical costs, travel expenses and accommodation.
The drug ONC201, which is administered privately in Germany, has so far extended the lives of patients by almost two years.
She said: ‘Something needs to be done to help people in similar situations to mine.
‘There is not enough awareness or funding for research into brain tumours when they kill innocent children and young people every day and the world continues to function as normal.
“If more people knew how devastating the effects of brain tumors are not only on the person diagnosed but on their entire family and everyone around them and who loves them, perhaps we could push for more options and more treatments, as no one deserves such a cruel fate.”
The family are already halfway towards their goal of raising £150,000 to cover medical costs, travel expenses and accommodation.