Dad received fatal diagnosis after repeatedly getting deja vu but putting it down to stress
A UK dad received a fatal diagnosis after putting his repeated deja vu symptoms down to stress.
Barry Fair believed that he was simply suffering from stress when he started experiencing bizarre phantom smells and frequent déjà vu in January 2022.
The mortgage advisor visited his GP who simply confirmed his suspicions, but just a few weeks later he suffered a seizure and was sent to hospital.
It was there that he and his wife Leanne received the news that would completely turn their lives upside down.
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Doctors confirmed to Barry that he had an aggressive brain tumour known as a stage three astrocytoma.
While Mr Fair and his family remained hopeful, when at a stage three level, the cancer has between a 20 and 50 per cent survival rate, according to studies.
Mrs Fair said: "An MRI scan confirmed our worst fears. That moment, sitting there hearing the words out loud, I felt like the floor had disappeared from under us.
"Barry kept trying to stay strong for me, but I could see the fear in his eyes. We had no idea what was coming, but we both knew everything had changed."
The devastating diagnosis forced Barry to undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments, following a surgery which removed the tumour from his brain. But tragically, the cancer had already spread into his corpus callosum—a structure in the middle of the brain that cannot be operated on.
The intense treatments sadly failed to shrink the tumour and Barry's prognosis got worse with each scan he underwent.
Leanne added: "He faced years of chemo and radiotherapy and horrible side effects with such courage.
"He still made us laugh, still played his music, still had time for everyone else. We went on family trips, to concerts, and even just little walks with our dog, Spud. Every moment suddenly meant so much.
"Even when he lost movement in his hand, he insisted on going out to play pool with friends. That was just who he was—brave, loyal, and always thinking of others."
Barry's health rapidly declined in early 2024 and he was hospitalised again, before he returned home to be with his family before he passed away.
Despite being given just 48 hours to live, the dad survived for another seven weeks before eventually losing his battle with cancer in 2024.
Leanne concluded: "Watching him fade over those last few months broke me, but I also felt lucky to be there beside him, giving him the love and care he so deserved."
She recently completed a Kiltwalk in Glasgow raising money for Brain Tumour Research in memory of her husband.
James Moorhouse