Mum of twins’ headache turned out to be stage 4 terminal brain cancer

A Glasgow mum has said she is treasuring every moment with her four-year-old twins after being given a terminal brain cancer diagnosis.

Kim Borthwick, 35, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer on January 18, just days after first experiencing symptoms.

It came following a cheerful family Christmas with her husband Ross and twins Max and Freddie.

The mum told STV News: “I was working from home on a Tuesday in January, tired after Christmas, feeling sluggish like I couldn’t really concentrate, but nothing of note.

Kim Borthwick, 35, from Glasgow, with husband Ross and twin sons STV News

“Then I got a sudden throbbing headache across the front of my head. I went and lay in a dark room, and the throbbing was just getting so intense, and then I felt tingling in my left hand.”

Ms Borthwick contacted her GP, who prescribed medication, which she says did “absolutely nothing” to rid her of her headaches.

Following several visits to her GP, she was referred to A&E for an urgent CT scan.

Soon afterwards, she was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, that would require surgery.

Medics warned that, had she not been diagnosed when she did, she would have likely had a seizure in a few weeks and could have died.

“Within days, I had gone from living a very happy, busy, normal, healthy life to having weeks or months to live,” she said.

Kim Borthwick, 35, from Glasgow, with her sons Max and Freddie STV News

Ms Borthwick says she felt “numb” when she heard the diagnosis, and immediately thought about all the things she might not get to see, like her sons starting school.

She is realistic about her prospects, given that if she makes it to her 40th birthday, she will be among the longest-surviving 10% of people diagnosed with her type of cancer.

As a self-described “practical person”, she decided to make the most of the time she has left with her main priority to minimise the impact on her sons.

“This is the greatest challenge of my life, treat it like that and do all the research and find out what is out there beyond the NHS.

“The most shocking thing I was told wasn’t that I might be gone within months, it was that in the last 30 years, the treatment options have not changed.

“It’s surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and that’s you.”

The mum has exhausted all her options on the NHS and has now turned her attention to outside the UK, travelling to Germany for treatment after raising around £200,000.

“This is highly aggressive, and you don’t have time, and with trying to raise awareness, everybody who tries to do it, like me, dies before they can make a difference,” she explained.

Ms Borthwick says she is not worried about her family after she is gone, having built up a loving and supportive network.

She said: “They are keeping everyone else going, so that everyone else can keep me going.”

In planning for the future, she has been writing letters, buying gifts with sentimental value and even writing birthday cards for all the years she will miss.

She has also taken to social media to share her story in a bid to inspire others.

In turning to the future, Ms Borthwick says she has made peace with her terminal diagnosis.

“I’ve had a good 35 years and feel so fortunate that I’ve been able to make my mark in terms of having my children, because a lot of people don’t get that far.”

Kim shared her story during Glioblastoma Awareness Week and hopes more will be done to help families affected by brain cancer.

Health secretary Angela Constance said: “I am grateful to Kim and all campaigners for their continued advocacy on brain cancer, and welcome efforts being made to raise awareness.

“We share their desire to further improve cancer survival and are taking action to improve the awareness and earlier diagnosis of cancers in Scotland. I would encourage anyone with unusual or persistent symptoms to contact their GP practice.

“We published our Cancer Strategy for Scotland in 2023, with a focus on less survivable cancers, such as brain tumours, and improving their outcomes.

“We welcome innovation in cancer care and continue to consider emerging evidence on new treatments and technologies to ensure patients can benefit from clinically effective advances.”