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When Charlie Pearson was first diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2019, the news was a devastating blow.
The former parliamentary diary manager from Hockley, Essex, had no family history of cancer, and like many young people, had never imagined that a health crisis like this could strike him.
‘I was living my life in London, enjoying my career, going out for drinks after work, and then one day it all just stopped,’ he told MailOnline, his voice still tinged with disbelief.
In July 2019, Charlie had his first seizure while in his room at home: ‘That was very traumatic for my mum, I imagine, to find me having a seizure in my room. I didn’t remember anything though,’ Charlie recalled, clearly shaken by the moment.
Rushed to Southend University Hospital, doctors initially suspected meningitis, but a scan revealed something far worse – a grade 2 astrocytoma, a …