Four years after a shock diagnosis, a Spalding man is working hard to regain his health with the help of a support team in the town.
Jack Jarvis was working on building sites in 2021 when he started suffering from headaches which got so severe he took himself to Peterborough City Hospital’s accident and emergency department.
After initially suggesting he may be experiencing migraines, a later scan revealed a much more serious problem.
Unbeknown to Jack and his family, he had a brain tumour and he was blue-lighted from Peterborough hospital to Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge for emergency surgery at the age of 25.
His mum Lynda Jarvis said she was completely shocked by the phone call she received, as they had no idea that a tumour was the cause of Jack’s pain.
“I got a call saying Jack was being taken to Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge for surgery and that he had a brain tumour, it was a huge shock,” she said.
And Jack, now 30, has been fighting to regain his health ever since and wants to publicly thank TC Sports
Massage and My-Recovery, both local companies, for the help he has received from them in the intervening years.
Initially he was given physio exercises to do, but he needed a more intensive programme to help him regain his strength and mobility. Jack pays for his treatment from a Personal Independence Payment he receives.
“I want to thank Tom Coaten at TC and Stacey Parish at My-Recovery, they have been really helpful and I am getting stronger,” he said.
“I just want people to know that this can happen to anyone and you shouldn’t take anything for granted. It was a real shock, they thought it was a migraine at first,” said Jack.
He initially knew Tom from the days they were at Gleed School together, and Jack said they have been working together to ensure his strength increases and improve his balance. Along with the work with Tom, Jack is also regularly seeing Stacey at My-Recovery.
“They have both been brilliant and he has done much better for seeing them regularly, it’s making such a difference,” said Lynda.
But Jack also has a new reason for getting up in the morning – his 14-week-old whippet puppy Apollo who he is currently training to basic commands.
“It is also really helping his mental health, it can be very lonely. At first he had a lot of visitors, but that has tapered off, and he now has something else to focus on and look after and the puppy has made a positive impact,” said Lynda.
