ANTIQUES Roadshow’s Theo Burrell shared a defiant post telling cancer to ‘get lost’ less than two weeks before her sad death.
In a post on her Instagram page on Saturday, Theo’s loved ones revealed she had passed away on Wednesday, four years after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Theo Burrell shared a defiant post less than two weeks before her sad death Credit: Instagram@theo.burrell
Theo managed to have a four day break to the Lake District with her husband in June Credit: theo.burrell/ Instagram
Theo, who was 38, was told if she didn’t have surgery she would only have three months to live, and she continued to keep her followers up to date over the next four years as she battled the disease.
In her last post, shared on June 27, Theo was as determined as ever to continue to live her life despite the hurdles she faced.
Sign up for the TV newsletter
Thank you!
She shared a snap of a view from a break to the Lake District and wrote: “On 7th June this year I marked 4 years since my glioblastoma diagnosis.
“Like other GBM patients I was expected to live for 12-18 months. In the wake of that news I had many dark thoughts including that I wouldn’t see my son’s 2nd birthday let alone him starting school, but I’m lucky enough to say I did! And no one can take that away from me.
Read More on Antiques Roadshow
HIDDEN AWAY
Antiques Roadshow viewers stunned as guest’s unusual item valued at six figures
THEOS FIGHT
Antiques Roadshow’s Theo Burrell admits ‘it’s relentless’ during cancer battle
Theo’s death was announced on Saturday night on her Instagram page Credit: theo.burrell/ Instagram
Theo was diagnosed with a brain tumour in June 2022 Credit: BBC
“Life since second surgery in Jan this year has definitely been a bit up and down. My peripheral vision on the left has gone and I’m having to take it slowly wherever I go. My coordination is not what it was.”
She continued: “However this week Alex and I got the help of my parents (thank you so much GM & GI and we’ve made it to the Lakes for 4 nights of chilling out. Having such warm weather has therefore been a bit of an extra bonus.
“Of course the next scan looms but I’ve dug deep and found a new bit of determination (which does not always come easy) to say to the GBM ‘I will not give up.’
“Whatever the results, I’ll take stock, trust my oncologist and go from there.”
Theo concluded: “So if you’re in the brain cancer world along with me – you’re not alone and we’ve just got to take it slowly but surely – every day we make is a bit of a win for us and a ‘GET LOST!’to the illness!”
Sadly, Theo’s passing came suddenly in the end, with the announcement reading: “It is with great sadness that I share the news that Theo passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Wednesday afternoon. Neither she nor her medical team foresaw this happening quite so quickly.
What are the symptoms of glioblastoma and how soon do they show?
Glioblastomas are the most common brain tumour in adults, while also being very aggressive and deadly.
Brain Tumour Research says tumours increase pressure in the skull, causing headaches.
Symptoms to look for are:
Headaches
Loss of appetite
Nausea and vomiting
Loss of balance
Mood swings
Problems speaking
Problems with memory or concentration
Seizures
Impaired vision
The symptoms can initially be quite non-specific, meaning they could be mistaken for lots of other conditions- even stress or a hangover.
The brain controls so many different functions that symptoms can vary greatly depending on where in the brain the tumour is.
Glioblastomas are very fast growing. Once found, experts can see them double within seven weeks.
But, according to Dr Stephen Bagley, assistant professor of medicine at Penn Medicine, the first spark of glioblastoma in the brain remains something of a mystery to medical experts.
One study concluded that a glioblastoma starts growing 330 days on average – almost a year – before a diagnosis.
Another found that there are changes in immune function up to five years before a diagnosis, with markers in blood samples – but symptoms only occur three months prior.
“She was an incredible person who fought hard for her family, friends and raising awareness of this cruel disease.
“She saw life events like her son’s first day at school and her wedding that a little over 4 years ago we thought she’d never see.
“The cancer community provided so much comfort and strength to her in her darkest moments. But most of all it provided hope and I think what she would want most of all is for other people to find hope in her story.
“Hope that the statistics aren’t gospel and that one day they’ll be very different.”
