NEED TO KNOW
Tracy Kehoe, 57, was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma after initially suspecting early-onset dementia due to memory issues
She underwent an awake craniotomy and treatments that have reduced the tumor to microscopic levels, offering hopeful results
Kehoe’s daughter organized a charity walk to support The Brain Tumor Charity and honor her mom’s resilience
A mom of two thought she had dementia, but ended up with a brain cancer diagnosis instead.
Tracy Kehoe realized she was forgetting tasks she had completed and repeating her conversations in early 2025.
Kehoe, 57, from Manchester, England, decided to visit the doctors to see what was going on with her memory.
Ellie Hutson (left) and mom Tracy Kehoe
Credit: SWNS
“My sister noticed I had been repeating myself and forgetting conversations, which is not like me at all,” she explained, according to SWNS. “A colleague at work noticed as well, saying she noticed I couldn’t remember if I had made phone calls or added an amount of money up or something similar.”
She had also been experiencing other symptoms like dizziness and headaches, but “put it down to stress.”
Kehoe had told her sister that she thought she could be “developing early-onset dementia” given her family’s history, including her father and grandfather both having dementia.
While at Fairfield General Hospital, she got an MRI scan that showed she had a tumor in her brain. After a few more tests, Kehoe was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, and was given between six to 18 months to live with the aggressive form of cancer.
“It’s the most devastating thing that’s ever happened in our entire world,” Kehoe said. “It absolutely floored us because I’m well. I’ve always been well. I have never really been ill.”
“When they told me I had cancer, my whole life flashed in front of me,” she added, noting she was looking forward to “long-haul holidays” and retiring with her husband.
Ellie Hutson (left) and Tracy Kehoe
Credit: SWNS
She underwent an awake craniotomy in August 2025, where doctors removed 95% of the tumor. She has since completed six weeks of radiotherapy and four chemotherapy cycles, but has two more to go.
Doctors have told Kehoe that the tumor is now only visible microscopically after she had her first post-surgery MRI, and the results seem promising.
Kehoe’s daughter, Ellie Hutson, was “shocked” at first by her mom’s cancer diagnosis, but has organized a special walk to raise money for The Brain Tumor Charity. “My mom, she’s honestly taking this in her absolute stride,” Hutson, 28, said.
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Tracy Kehoe’s walking group
Credit: SWNS
On Sunday, March 22, Kehoe and Hutson walked with a group of about 25 other close family and friends while wearing the color red for the charity.
“One day my mom will pass, I want to be able to look at this time and think we did so many amazing things,” Hutson added.
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