Rachael Burns went to the optician for what felt like a simple problem. Her eyes felt dry. Her headaches kept coming. And after the birth of her daughter, Raeya, the symptoms grew worse.

At first, the appointment offered reassurance. She went home with drops and new glasses. However, her body told a different story. Her vision slipped. A blind spot appeared. Then one side of her face began to droop. Soon after, she struggled to open one eye.

So she pushed for answers. Doctors at Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital ran urgent checks. Then they delivered the news that split her life in two: a brain tumour. Because it sits on her brainstem, surgeons cannot remove it.

Now Rachael tackles an exhausting treatment schedule. She undergoes radiotherapy sessions aimed at her brain and spinal cord. Some mornings, she wakes with searing pain. Other days, her legs refuse to cooperate. Meanwhile, her partner, Robert, steps in for much of Raeya’s daily care, and Rachael says that change stings.

Still, she measures life in moments, not months. On good days, she lifts her little girl. She holds her close. She stores up ordinary memories like treasure.

Rachael and her family also raise funds for specialist treatment abroad that may extend time. Above all, she wants people to notice what brain tumours steal so quickly. And she wants more research, more options, and more hope for young families forced into impossible timelines.