The broken-hearted husband of a 39 year-old mother-of-two who suffered a rapid death from brain cancer has told of the easy-to-dismiss signs of the shock disease.
In late 2021, Charlotte Coxon, from Leicestershire, began suffering headaches, seemingly out of nowhere.
Oddly, at around the same time, she found she was struggling with other daily tasks, like writing and driving.
In January 2022, the television producer visited her GP for help, and was referred to the local hospital for a series of investigations.
Doctors performed a series of CT and MRI scans, which ultimately revealed a glioblastoma — the most aggressive and deadly form of brain tumour, which kills three quarters of patients within a year.
Ms Coxon was given a prognosis of just 12 to 18 months.
She was quickly rushed into surgery to remove the tumour, followed by six weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
‘We’d hoped that removing the tumour would solve all our problems,’ said Ms Coxon’s husband, Johnny, 39.
Charlotte Coxon was hit with an excruciating migraine while wrapping her children’s Christmas presents – scans showed the devastating truth
‘Charlotte wanted to keep active despite everything she was going through.
‘She decided to focus heavily on helping the local community, supporting our son’s school on class trips, and as an active volunteer in the ‘Friends of Burton School’ (FOBS) group, which fundraises for the school.
‘From her chemo and radiotherapy treatments until 2024, she didn’t show any significant new symptoms.
‘So we made the most of that time, going on holidays as a family, and Charlotte spent as much quality time with the children as possible.’
But in March 2024, scans revealed that the tumour had grown, and her health soon began to deteriorate.
One night in July, she woke up in excruciating pain from a migraine, and was rushed back to the hospital.
She stayed until 9 July 2024, and surrounded by her loving family, she died at the age of just 39.
‘Charlotte worked incredibly hard to help prepare our children for what was to come,’ said Mr Coxon.
The children have coped remarkably well with the loss of their mother, their father Johnny said.
Just one per cent of the national cancer research budget is allocated to brain tumours, according to charity Brain Tumour Research
‘She had a deep understanding of grief and made every effort to ensure the children, Thomas and Anna, then six and three, would feel supported.
‘Thomas and Anna both miss their mum deeply and often talk about her, but they’re coping remarkably well.
‘I know Charlotte would be relieved to see how they’re handling everything; she would be so proud of their strength.’
The family are now dedicated to helping to find a cure for the disease by raising awareness and funds for Brain Tumour Research.
‘She was a fantastic mum and always full of laughter,’ Mr Coxon said.
‘She had so many friends and was just a wonderful, warm presence. It’s been incredibly tough for us since Charlotte’s passing.
‘Now, we are determined to support Brain Tumour Research in its mission to find a cure for the disease that took Charlotte from us.’
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