My dad sounded drunk when he called me from holiday in Portugal – three months later he was dead
A DAUGHTER has revealed her heartache following her dad’s death just months after she noticed something was wrong when he called her.
Keith Jackson, 54, had been in Portugal building a retirement home for him and his partner when he video-called his family.
They noticed he was having trouble speaking, was making things up and sounded “drunk”.
Tragically he died just three months later after being diagnosed with a glioblastoma (GBM) – a type of brain tumour.
His daughter Lianne, 26, told MEN: “Our family live across the country so we regularly video called and on one call, it was as if Dad was drunk.
“When he spoke, it sounded like nonsense, and he would often start a new sentence without finishing the last one. He’d also make stuff up which we knew hadn’t happened as if he was overexcited.
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“I had missed calls from my brother, Luke, when we finally spoke on the phone, he told me that Dad was in hospital with a brain tumour. This was the first I had heard of Dad going to hospital, let alone having a tumour.
“I had so many questions I didn’t know what to do with myself.”
Keith visited hospital while still in Portugal and was given the devastating diagnosis.
He returned home to Greater Manchester where a scan revealed he had a lesion on the brain and he underwent radiotherapy.
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Tragically, Keith made the agonising decision to cease all treatment and passed away in February 2020.
Lianne said: “Dad encouraged me and Luke to live our lives to the fullest and didn’t want us to see him ill.
“He had a few sessions of radiotherapy which made him very sick, and he decided to stop any further treatment, and eventually became bedridden and stopped eating.
“When I visited him in February, I sat next to him, talking, and reading.
What is glioblastoma?
A glioblastoma is an aggressive and fast-growing tumour with a staggeringly short life expectancy.
For most people diagnosed with glioblastoma the life expectancy is between 12 -15 months.
Those who decide not to have treatment are expected to live for around three months.
In March 2022, The Wanted band member Tom Parker died of a glioblastoma at the age of 33.
The former minister for public health and culture secretary Tessa Jowell also died in May 2018 of a glioblastoma.
People may confuse their symptoms for various other problems, such as stress or even a hangover.
The symptoms can get worse very quickly, sometimes progressing to unconsciousness.
Brain Tumour Research says tumours increase pressure in the skull, causing headaches.
Other symptoms to look for are:
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Loss of balance
- Mood swings
- Problems speaking
- Problems with memory or concentration
- Seizures
- Impaired vision
“As I got up to leave, I leant over to give him a kiss on the cheek and felt him grab my hand and as he said ‘I love you’, I knew that would be the last time I see my dad.”
Lianne is now planning to take on three marathons in three days to raise money for Brain Tumour Research to help find a cure.
The marine science project manager will be supported by her brother, partner and uncle.
Mel Tiley, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Stories such as Keith’s are devastating and highlight the lack of treatment options for patients diagnosed with brain tumours.
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“We’re grateful to Lianne for sharing her dad’s story with us and wish her all the best as she takes on an incredibly tough challenge to help raise awareness of this horrific disease.”
To donate, visit Lianne’s fundraising page.
