A grieving mother-of-three has flagged little-known symptoms of a deadly brain tumour, after her husband’s hidden cancer lead to his rapid and tragic death.
Barry Fair, 44, from Edinburgh, believed he was suffering the effects of stress when he began experiencing bizarre phantom smells and frequent déjà vu in January 2022.
The mortgage advisor’s GP confirmed his suspicions, putting his symptoms down to a hectic and busy job.
But within a few weeks, he was struck by a terrifying seizure that appeared to come out of nowhere.
His wife Leanne, a 45 year-old carer, immediately rushed him to hospital.
A barrage of tests were performed and, eventually, in early February, the couple were given the devastating news that Mr Fair had an aggressive brain tumour known as a stage three astrocytoma.
Around one in three brain tumours diagnosed in the UK are astrocytomas, and they are part of a larger group of brain tumours called gliomas that originate in the brain or spinal cord.
A grade three growth is particularly fast-growing and can quickly move to other areas of the brain.
Barry Fair suffered a series of bizarre symptoms before being diagnosed with a deadly brain tumour aged 44.
Studies suggest that only between 20 to 50 per cent of people with a grade three astrocytoma will survive longer than five years.
‘An MRI scan confirmed our worst fears,’ said Mrs Fair.
‘That moment, sitting there hearing the words out loud, I felt like the floor had disappeared from under us.
‘Barry kept trying to stay strong for me, but I could see the fear in his eyes.
‘We had no idea what was coming, but we both knew everything had changed.’
Mr and Mrs Fair had little time to process the diagnosis before he was scheduled for urgent surgery.
On 23 February 2022 he underwent a major procedure at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to remove the mass in his frontal lobe.
Although the operation was successful in removing a significant portion of the tumour, pathology results revealed it had already begun spreading into his corpus callosum—a structure in the middle of the brain that cannot be operated on.
The father of three faced his devastating fate with ‘such courage’. ‘He still made us laugh, still played his music, still had time for everyone else,’ said his wife, Leanne.
Instead, he underwent years of chemotherapy and radiotherapy to attempt to stop the cancer from growing.
Devastatingly, his tumour was resistant to treatment and the prognosis began to shorten with every scan.
‘He faced years of chemo and radiotherapy and horrible side effects with such courage,’ said Mrs Fair.
‘He still made us laugh, still played his music, still had time for everyone else.
‘We went on family trips, to concerts, and even just little walks with our dog, Spud. Every moment suddenly meant so much.
‘Even when he lost movement in his hand, he insisted on going out to play pool with friends.
‘That was just who he was—brave, loyal, and always thinking of others.’
Mr Fair’s health declined rapidly in early 2024.
Leanne has undertaken fundraising challenges to give her a reason to ‘keep going’, she said.
After a final seizure he was hospitalised and then returned home under his wife’s full-time care.
Doctors predicted he had just 48 hours left, but he once again defied expectations and spent another seven weeks at home, pain-free and surrounded by love.
‘Watching him fade over those last few months broke me, but I also felt lucky to be there beside him, giving him the love and care he so deserved,’ said Mrs Fair.
She recently completed the Glasgow Kiltwalk on April 27, 2025, just over a year after Barry’s passing, in support of Brain Tumour Research, a charity close to her heart.
‘When I saw the date for the Kiltwalk, I signed up straight away. It gave me a reason to keep going,’ she said.
‘Getting outside, training, and having a goal is helping me get through this grief. But more than anything, I did it for Barry.
‘I want to continue raising money so one day, people with this cruel disease will have real hope.
‘Barry deserved better, and so does every other person going through this. I’ll carry him with me every step of the way.’
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