A dad’s undiagnosed brain tumour left him convinced his loyal wife was having an affair – and it even made him fall asleep at the birth of his son.
British father-of-four Andy Hampton, 54, became distant and apathetic, and paranoid his wife of three years, Gemma, 37, was cheating on him.
And after the birth of son Henley, the once-doting dad showed an uncharacteristic lack of interest in his family and became forgetful.
He later found the cause for his bizarre symptoms was a deadly glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumour.
Gemma said his normal personality returned “instantly” after an operation to reduce the size of the tumour.
Gemma said during the eight years the couple had been together they’d always been secure, but something changed after the birth of their son.
“I would ask Andy to change Henley’s nappy to which he would say he had a headache and I had to do it,” she said.
“At first I thought it was an excuse and that he was struggling adapting to life with two young children.
“It felt as though Andy wasn’t listening to me, and because I kept pointing out things that he was doing wrong, his paranoia caused him to believe things that weren’t true.
“He kept saying he knew it was all in his head but he couldn’t stop the thoughts.”
Andy fell asleep at the birth of his son, Henley, in May 2022. A year later, he was “all over the place” and frequently experienced bouts of confusion and paranoia.
The “final straw” came when he was making the bed and couldn’t figure out how to take the duvet out of the cover.
He booked a check-up with his GP and on the way to the appointment, Andy vomited and the doctor referred him urgently to the emergency room at Dorset County Hospital in southwest England with a suspected infection.
Within 24 hours Andy’s cognition had deteriorated. He had a scan and was diagnosed with a glioblastoma.
A glioblastoma is a fast-growing type of tumour that is the most common type of primary malignant brain tumour in adults.
He had debulking surgery followed by six weeks of combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
“Instantly after the operation Andy’s mood changed, and his personality resembled the old Andy,” Gemma said.
“We felt better knowing that there was something to blame for Andy’s behaviour and that it wasn’t our marriage breaking down.
“We knew what we were dealing with and could work on a plan of action on how to battle the cancer.”
While he undergoes a second cycle of chemotherapy, Andy has signed up to take part in a sponsored walk for the charity Brain Tumour Research.
The Walk of Hope in Swanage, near Dorset, is a fundraising event on September 30 to raise funds to help find a cure for the disease.
Gemma, who began fundraising for the charity by selling homegrown vegetables when Andy was diagnosed, said: “Andy has really felt the fatigue that comes with every round of treatment.
“He has always been an active person and together we have been going out on family walks in preparation for the event at the end of September.
“This will be a real challenge for him.”
Mel Tiley, the community development manager at the UK’s Brain Tumour Research, said: “Andy’s story is a stark reminder of the indiscriminate nature of brain tumours, which can affect anyone at any time.
“They kill more men under 70 than prostate cancer, yet just 1 per cent of the national spend on cancer research (in the UK) has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.
“We’re determined to change this but it’s only by working together we will be able to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately, find a cure.”