A DAUGHTER has described her heartbreak when her mum was struck down by a brain tumour – and then her relief when she survived the ordeal.

Shereen Richmond, 26, from Lower Broadheath, pushed doctors to do more tests after becoming convinced something was seriously wrong with her mum, Cheryl Morris, from Worcester, who had originally been diagnosed with depression.

Mrs Richmond said: “Back in late 2018, mum was struggling to do certain tasks like lifting a jar out of a cupboard. Her doctor put it down to the menopause or depression.

“I wasn’t convinced. I got a call on Saturday, January 19 last year from mum saying she’d collapsed at home. An ambulance took us to Worcestershire Royal Hospital where a stroke was diagnosed.

“I pushed doctors for a full body scan at Worcestershire Hospital and a doctor told me there was a massive tumour on mum’s brain. I collapsed on the floor when I heard.

“I had to break the news to her two days later when she regained conciousness.”

An operation at University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire, which has a world leading cancer department, took around 12 hours.

Fighting back tears, Mrs Richmond added: “Mum’s first words to me when she woke up were ‘I love you’ - I was so pleased she could remember me.

“When she went down to theatre she thought she wouldn’t come back.”

Not all of the tumour could be removed and there is a possibility Ms Morris could once again become seriously ill.

However, Mrs Richmond says she is just grateful her mum survived.

"My mum has been on one hell of a rollercoaster during her recovery, but I am very happy to say that we are getting there finally."

Ms Morris, 52, from St Peter's, had to move in with her daughter for around seven months to recover because she could not look after herself.

Ms Morris said: “After the operation, I had some of my darkest days. I thought about ending it as I thought 'well I’m going to die anyway, I might as well do it on my own terms'.

“But my grandson Artie, who is two, would always cheer me up and pull me back from the dark place.

“Headway Worcestershire (a charity for people who have suffered a serious brain injury) have really supported me with counselling. I know I’m not the old Cheryl I once was."

Mrs Richmond will take on the London Marathon on April 26 to raise money for the charity Brain Research UK, which supports people who have suffered a brain injury as well as research into treatment.

She has raised £550 of her £2,000 target so far.

“I’m so proud of her," Ms Morris said of her daughter. "My family are my world.”

To donate towards Mrs Richmond's fundraising total, visit her Just Giving page at https://bit.ly/2vakuiS