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Despite the minuscule odds, two cousins from Scotland are navigating life wiht brain tumors, forging a unique bond through their shared experience and inspiring others with their resilience.
Lachlan Lindsay was just eight years old when he received his initial diagnosis. Surgeons acted swiftly, and he recovered well, but the experience left a lasting mark on his family in Stonehaven. Six years later,the family faced another devastating blow when Lachlan’s younger cousin,Hazel dempster,began experiencing severe headaches and was referred for an MRI. “Imagine if we both had a brain tumor,” Lachlan jokingly remarked in a reassuring phone call before Hazel’s scan – a grim possibility that soon became reality.
A Shock Diagnosis for Hazel
Within days,12-year-old Hazel underwent emergency neurosurgery to address a tumor larger than a golf ball causing a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid. “It was a huge shock because the chance (of two cousins with brain tumors) is minuscule,” Hazel,now 16,explained.”But I think now I probably have a closer relationship with Lachlan as it’s something that he and I can relate to and no one else in our lives can.”
Both teenagers now live with their tumors, as surgical removal is not possible due to their location within the brain. The cause remains unknown, and they attribute their situation to “bad luck.” Hazel, currently in high school, approaches her condition with remarkable pragmatism. “To be honest, we’re just joking about it… I don’t know if it’s a defense mechanism,” she told the BBC. “I think having a brain tumor is part of me, it’s not something serious or a big problem. It’s part of me, it’s like my arm, my leg, my brain tumor.”
Hazel’s Journey: Surgery, Chemotherapy, and Resilience
Hazel has been diagnosed with pilocytic astrocytoma of the optic chiasm, a slow-growing tumor that impacts vision by pressing on the optic nerve. Since her initial emergency surgery at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Glasgow, she has undergone six additional operations. She also endured grueling chemotherapy, which resulted in a range of side effects, including prolonged nerve pain that affected her mobility and dexterity.
“It feels like you’re wearing big winter gloves every day, all the time, so you can’t feel what you’re doing, like the zipper, buttons, and shoelaces,” she described. The treatment also compromised her immune system, forcing her to miss out on typical childhood experiences. She recounted being relegated to the cafeteria at a birthday party with trampolines in Carlisle due to safety concerns.
Currently, Hazel receives daily oral chemotherapy, allowing her to live a relatively normal life, punctuated by regular medical appointments. Last summer, after years of restricted travel, her family embarked on an ambitious train journey through Europe. Despite her health challenges, Hazel continues to excel academically and has been recognized as an “Unsung Hero” by the Chief Scout for her leadership within her Scout troop.
“I don’t really think about what I do, like going to Scout camps with my treatment and having to take medication in a tent before I go out,” she said. “I don’t consider it anything special, it’s just my life. It’s just how I do things,what I do. but it’s nice that people see it as something more, something bigger.” While her tumor remains stable, it will not shrink. Having spent considerable time at Glasgow Children’s Hospital,Hazel is acutely aware of the fragility of life,having witnessed others who did not survive their illnesses. “I enjoy feeling good as I know what it’s like to not feel good,” she shared.
Lachlan’s Battle and Future Aspirations
Simultaneously occurring, Lachlan, now a first-year student at the University of Aberdeen, prefers to focus on the future, despite living with a relatively rare brain tumor called tectal plate glioma. A scan revealed the benign mass after he developed a slight strabismus and occasional severe headaches.He vividly remembers the initial shock of his diagnosis.
“I remember being taken to the hospital. I remember the first MRI they did.I remember the diagnosis. I remember being told I had a tumor and that hydrocephalus [accumulation of fluid] in the back of my head could kill me if left untreated,” he said. His mother, Claire, clarified that the news was not delivered so abruptly. He underwent emergency surgery at the former Edinburgh Children’s Hospital to relieve the pressure caused by accumulated cerebrospinal fluid.
“I woke up [from the operation] and I experienced the worst pain of my life, and since then nothing has been able to match it,” the 19-year-old recalled. “It was days before I could turn my head properly because of how much it hurt. That was one of the worst moments of my life.” He described a terrifying moment of disorientation after the surgery, waking up to find his mother absent.
lachlan believes the tumor has caused dyspraxia, impacting his physical coordination, and slowed his “processing speed.” “Sometimes it takes me longer to understand a question on an exam because the tumor holds me back,” he explained. “My potential will always be less than it could have been if this wasn’t there. Sometimes that bothers me a lot.” Despite thes challenges, he remains optimistic and is pursuing his passion for film, studying English Literature, Film and Visual Culture, with aspirations of becoming a Hollywood film director.
Turning Pain into positive Action
The cousins’ aunt, Emma Christie, has been deeply affected by their diagnoses.As a writer,she has channeled her emotions into action,raising over $4,000 for The Brain Tumor Charity while promoting her latest crime thriller. “I have frequently enough felt helpless in the face of a life-changing diagnosis, but by supporting the charity and helping raise funds for research, I feel like I am turning pain into positive action,” she said.
The story of Lachlan and Hazel is a testament to the power of resilience, the strength of family, and the enduring human spirit in the face of adversity.
