'My partner forgot how to start car before son asked if she'd die'
Laura Critchley lost her words during a work presentation
A mum who found herself struggling to speak during a work meeting was shocked to discover that her speech impairment was caused by eight brain tumours. Laura Critchley, 40, was leading a Teams meeting in her role as director of SEND at a multi-academy trust when she became disoriented and had difficulty speaking.
After being helped to her car by a colleague, she couldn't recall how to start it and was rushed to Doncaster Royal Infirmary where scans revealed multiple brain tumours. For two weeks, it was feared the tumours were terminal cancer, until specialists at Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire Hospital reassessed the scans.
She is due to undergo surgery on November 19 to remove seven of the eight tumours in her brain, with the hope of understanding what is causing them to grow. Laura's partner, Lee Vaughan, 50, is set to take part in Brain Tumour Research's 99 Miles November challenge to raise awareness and has already raised £2,000.
Lee, who works for a manufacturing business in Swinton, Greater Manchester, said: "A stroke nurse sent her for a CT scan, which showed something abnormal, but not a stroke. While waiting in A&E she suffered two major seizures and was rushed into resus.
"She was stabilised overnight and the next morning we were told to prepare for the worst news – cancer. The surgery is scheduled for Wednesday, November 19, and aims to remove the seven accessible tumours and analyse them to understand what is causing their growth.
"We still don't know if Laura's condition is genetic and, if it is, our sons could each have a 50 per cent chance of inheriting it. That thought keeps me going every time I lace up my running shoes."
Laura was delivering a presentation at work when she started feeling muddled and struggled to locate her words in May 2025. After initially fearing terminal cancer, following scan reviews experts suspected a hereditary condition and sent her for additional tests.
An MRI revealed Laura had seven tumours on the left side of her brain which controls speech, and one deep in the centre. Further testing ruled out both types of neurofibromatosis – genetic disorders that affect the nervous system and can cause tumours to grow on nerve tissue. It also ruled out the seven markers linked to meningiomas – slow-growing tumours that originate from the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.
"At first, the plan was to monitor things with regular MRIs, but because Laura is young and otherwise healthy, the specialists decided it was safer to operate," Lee said.
"We've tried to keep things as normal as possible for our two boys, Brody, 10 and Fraser, seven. We explained it using football - when a player clashes heads, they have to stop to let their brain heal. It's like that with mummy.
"They know she will be having surgery and that she will be in hospital for a while. Brody, who is 10, has already asked the hardest questions, wondering if she will be all right or if she might die. It is heart-breaking, but they have coped better than we ever expected."
Lee is preparing to begin 99 Miles in November, with participants challenged to complete 8,250 steps daily. The challenge can be tackled through walking, running, cycling, swimming or any other form of physical exercise.
Aiming for £2,740 – equivalent to funding a complete day of research at one of Brain Tumour Research's facilities – Lee is making excellent progress towards his goal.
Lee explained: "Laura was the one who encouraged me to take part. She tagged me in a Facebook post about the challenge and told me to use my running for something positive.
"I set a £150 target and the support from friends, family and colleagues has been amazing. It's a way of feeling like we're doing something that matters, something that could help other families like ours."
Ashley McWilliams, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: "Laura and Lee's story is one that so many families can relate to, from the shock of diagnosis to the strength it takes to keep going. Lee's determination to turn something so difficult into a force for good is incredibly inspiring. Every mile he runs and every pound raised helps us get closer to finding a cure."
Those wishing to back Lee in the 99 Miles in November challenge can visit JustGiving.