Worthing mum, 36, wants to make lasting family memories after cancer diagnosis - 'I need to be here as long as I can'

June 19 was just a normal Monday for Siobhan Hobden, 36, before her life was turned upside now.

“I woke up, sorted the children out and took myself off to work,” she said. “I finished my shift, went to the supermarket and I had a seizure in the supermarket.

"That had never happened to me before. When I woke up, I was surrounded by ambulance crews who then took me to A&E where unfortunately I had another seizure.

"I was rushed to have a CT scan and they told me they found a bleed on the brain. Then after further investigation, they said it's actually a tumour.”

Having recently been pregnant, Siobhan, from Broadwater, was not concerned by initial symptoms of extreme tiredness and headaches. The seizures were the first real sign something was badly wrong.

Siobhan was referred to a neurosurgeon who discovered it was ‘quite a large tumour’ and she needed to have it removed within two weeks.

"That was all quite scary,” Siobhan said.

After a number of cancelled procedures – due to ongoing NHS strikes – Siobhan said she did eventually undergo surgery, adding: “They removed as much as they possibly could, which was about 90 per cent of it.

"If they had tried to remove all of it, it would have caused a stroke unfortunately. I'm now currently waiting for chemo and radiotherapy to start which will be in September time.

“We still don't know what's going to happen. That's the hardest thing to deal with.

"They've given me a prognosis, based on the average person that gets this kind of cancer, who are in their 60s. They have given me two to two-and-a-half-years.

"That isn't very long. I was expecting it to be a longer amount of time because I’m only 36, so I'm not accepting that.”

Siobhan said she will follow medical advice and ‘fight it as much as I possibly can’, adding: “I've got two little boys, one who is ten and the other is one. I need to be here as long as I possibly can.

"What they've diagnosed me with is called an astrocytoma. It's a grade four so it's quite scary.

“Hopefully the intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy over the next nine months will blast down what's left and give me as much time as I can possibly get."

Close friend Florence Wilton is leading a fundraising campaign to ‘bring magic to Siobhan and her family’.

On the GoFundMe page, Florence wrote: “If you have the incredible honour to know Shiv and her wonderful fiancé Grant – who has been her absolute rock during this time – and their perfect boys Milo and Ewan, you would know what an absolute blessing she is to have in your life and how every day is a good day with Shiv in it. She is pure magic.”

Whilst undergoing treatment, Siobhan will be completing a ‘living list’, which will include her wedding day, planned for May 2024 at Field Place Manor House and Barns in Worthing.

“I am trying to make as many memories as possible,” Siobhan said.

Florence said the wedding venue staff ‘have been absolutely amazing’, adding: “They said they will do everything they possibly can to help Siobhan and her fiancé get married.

"There are so many things Shiv is planning, including a Christmas day out donated by Tulley’s Farm [in Crawley] and other things to do with her boys.

"I am doing a walk from Brighton Pier to Worthing Pier to fundraise as well as doing small things like TikTok lives, letting people throw buckets of water over my head, eating hot chillies. We are planning also planning a family fun day – somewhere loved ones of Shiv can get together in a fun environment as Shiv is a bundle of joy and fun.

"I want this fundraiser to be about how she is as a person. Going and grabbing life and having rebellious hope.

"She enjoys everything to the absolute fullest with a big smile on her face. That's who Shiv is, which is absolutely amazing.”

Just two weeks after setting up the fundraising page, more than £1,000 has been raised for the family – with a £10,000 target.

Florence added: “Shiv has really inspired me personally to go and grab life. Her positive attitude and the fight she has is just outstanding. It's an absolute honour just to be her friend really.”

Siobhan said: “Without Florence none of the fundraising would have taken place. She has thrown her heart and soul into making sure my family and I get to make some amazing memories.”

If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.gofundme.com/f/bring-magic-to-siobhan-and-her-family.