A popular hairdresser from Hornsea who is battling Stage 4 brain cancer is fighting to see the birth of her second grandchild. Karen Taylor was diagnosed with Glioblastoma in September and is undergoing treatment to give her as much time as possible with her daughters and granddaughters, one of which is due to be born in March 2027. Karen’s symptoms were originally dismissed as the result of stopping HRT treatment, before it was discovered she had multiple tumours in her brain.

Daughter Sophie said her mum started with some “strange symptoms” where she was losing her balance, mainly in the morning and at the end of the day. She was also suffering excruciating headaches, memory problems and confusion. After being “fobbed off” by the doctor, Sophie insisted her mum go back. It was then she was sent for an MRI, which led to a biopsy, diagnosing the aggressive form of brain cancer.

Karen was suffering headaches and balance issues(Image: Submitted)

“I’m glad we pushed her to go back to the doctors,” Sophie, 31, said. “It happened so quickly.” Karen is now undergoing radiotherapy and is on oral chemotherapy tablets. The treatment is leaving her exhausted, while the tumours still make it difficult for her to walk.

Sophie, who has a six month old daughter, said her 59-year-old mum is “always thinking of others” and is a popular face in her Hornsea community. She said: “Mum is interested in people’s lives and likes listening to what people have to say, she likes to know everything about everyone. She always puts people above herself, quite selfless really. She’s bubbly, the life and soul of the party. She loves her family and loves her dog.”

Sophie’s sister Lucy, 29, is due to give birth to her first child, a girl, in March, and the family are determined for Karen to be there. They have set up a fundraising page to help pay for any clinical trials that might prolong Karen’s life. Money raised will also go towards the family making memories together, and any funds left over will be donated to charities that support people with brain cancer. The fundraiser has accumulated just shy of £10,000.

Sophie said: “It’s crazy really, at first I was shocked, but everyone loves mum and she’s got so much support, she knows so many people. Everyone really wanted to support her. She’s loving getting messages from people, she’s struggling to reply because her eyesight isn’t very good. But she appreciates it.

Daughters Sophie and Lucy set up a fundraising page for Karen(Image: Submitted)

“The main thing is we are hoping to get her onto a trial of some sort, they are quite expensive depending on where it is. If she needs more care then me and Lucy don’t have to worry about work. I’m meant to be going back in January, we don’t know what’s going to happen with mum. Anything that’s not used will be going to the Brain Tumour Charity. They don’t get much funding, compared to other cancers.”

Writing on the Go Fund Me page, Sophie said: “The thought of losing our Mum is something we cannot put into words, and the thought of only having a limited amount of time with her is heartbreaking. More than anything, we want time.

“We want to give Mum and our family the freedom to make decisions based on what Mum needs and wants, rather than what we can or cannot afford. If a clinical trial becomes available, we want Mum to have the opportunity to consider it. If she needs more care, we want her to have it. And if she wants to take a trip, spend a day with her family or simply have us around her, we don’t want finances to stand in the way.”

The family says a share, a message or a donation, however large or small, are all valuable. Visit the fundraising page here.

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