Student from Manchester put headaches down to exams before discovering brain tumour

A university student believed her persistent headaches were linked to exam stress, but was later diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Annelise Donelon, 20, first began experiencing extreme tiredness and headaches towards the end of 2024.

After several visits to her GP, doctors initially attributed her symptoms to a vitamin B12 deficiency. Despite trying a range of migraine medications and hormone treatments, her symptoms continued throughout 2025.

Over time, the pain became increasingly severe. She describes the headaches as feeling “like a bandsaw” was being cut down one side of her face.

Her mum, Lisa Donelon, from near Bury, said, “She knew in herself that something wasn’t right.” A second visit to A&E finally led to a diagnosis.

A CT scan revealed a 5cm high-grade brain tumour inside one of the fluid-filled cavities of her brain. The tumour was causing pressure to build up, triggering the headaches.

The Newcastle University student, who studies chemical engineering, underwent an 11-hour operation at Salford Royal Hospital on October 22nd to remove the tumour.

The tumour was buried deep within her brain so she also underwent a six-week course of radiotherapy, which resulted in Annelise losing all of her hair.

Lisa said, “We thought it might be hormones, migraines or stress due to her uni exam period, After the CT scan, I got the call that they had found a lesion – I can’t even describe what that feels like.”

She added, “Annie just wants her life back, she wants to go back to university – so we’re always looking for the next trial or treatment. There are just no words for what’s happening, you just feel numb – and then you feel angry, then you feel sad.”

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Follow-up scans have not been able to confirm whether the tumour has been completely eradicated.

As a result, Annelise and her family are exploring clinical trials and private treatment options overseas that are not currently available on the NHS.

She has already undergone molecular profiling at a private clinic in London, visited a hospital in Paris to investigate targeted molecular therapy, and is now preparing to begin immunotherapy treatment in Germany.

The immunotherapy treatment aims to create a vaccine tailored specifically to an individual’s cancer. However, the treatment remains in the trial stage and is not yet available through the NHS.

The family are continuing to fundraise £100,000 she needs for the immunotherapy treatment.

Her mum noted, “It’s Annie’s biggest dream to go back to studying in Newcastle in September – to be with her friends and do the part time job at St. James Park that she loves.”

When recovered, Annie plans to switch course to study biochemistry so she can go into clinical science to study future treatments for conditions like hers.

Dr Simon Newman, Chief Scientific Officer at The Brain Tumour Charity, said, “People like Annie deserve access to safe, effective treatments without the burden of searching online for worldwide options.”

Featured Imaged via SWNS