Glasgow mum with brain tumour treasuring every moment with twins

Kim Borthwick, a 36-year-old mother from Glasgow, is confronting the heartbreaking reality of her incurable brain cancer diagnosis while cherishing every moment spent with her four-year-old twin sons, Max and Freddie. Diagnosed with glioblastoma—a highly aggressive form of brain tumor—just weeks after noticing severe symptoms, Kim faces an uncertain future that may prevent her from seeing her boys start school. The diagnosis came shortly after a busy festive period, during which she initially dismissed a persistent headache as fatigue from holiday activities.

After several visits to her general practitioner and an urgent CT scan at Accident & Emergency, Kim was given the devastating news. Initially treated for migraines, the persistence and severity of her symptoms, including tingling and numbness on one side of her body and vomiting, prompted further examination. Reflecting on this moment, Kim recalled the intensity of her first headache and her instinctive concern that something was seriously wrong despite never having suffered from migraines before.

Kim attributes her extended survival and additional time with her children to the swift and expert care provided by NHS staff. If she reaches her 40th birthday, she will be among the top 10% of glioblastoma patients to survive that long. Acknowledging these precious moments with her sons, she expressed the gratitude and pain entwined in her prognosis: “I don’t know if I’ll see them start school… You take those little moments for granted until you realise they could be taken away.” Her diagnosis has brought her clarity and a desire to savor every experience with Max and Freddie, alongside a candid hope of one day becoming a grandmother.

Aside from her personal battle, Kim has become a vocal advocate for improved support and funding for brain cancer research. Highlighting the stagnant survival rates for brain tumors in the UK over the past thirty years, she has joined the Brain Cancer Justice campaign, which calls for greater governmental commitment to rare cancers, including appointing a dedicated minister to oversee research, policy, and funding continuity. Kim described it as an “injustice” that survival rates for many other cancers have dramatically improved while brain cancer outcomes remain unchanged, and emphasized the urgent need for change, particularly in Scotland. Through her efforts, she hopes to bring about improved treatment options and support for future patients, even though she may not personally benefit from these advances

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