Mike Wild has been living with his 'shadow' for over a decade

I thought I was suffering from altitude sickness on holiday but it turned out to be a brain tumour

by · Manchester Evening News

A man from Manchester believed he was suffering from altitude sickness while climbing a volcano, only to discover he had the same type of brain tumour as TV presenter Davina McCall. Holidaying in Ecuador and suffering from what seemed a severe migraine during his climb, 38-year-old Mike Wild initially dismissed it as a symptom of the high altitude.

However, as the pain worsened, Mike was forced to seek urgent medical attention at a local hospital, where scans revealed a colloid cyst in his brain. After returning to the UK, a visit to his GP led to a referral to Salford Royal Hospital, where it was determined that surgery was too risky due to the tumour's location.

Since then, Mike has since undergone biannual scans to track its progress. Living with the diagnosis for over a decade now, Mike, who is a learning and development specialist, described his experience as "living with a constant shadow".

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He said: "You know you are always walking around with a shadow. While it is rattling around my head, there is no denying that there will always be a shadow there.

"I live my life trying to be as good and kind to people as I can. I think today could be my last day and think about how I would want to be remembered - I try not to get bogged down with my own condition.

"It is a shadow that is looming over me but I try to block it out to the best of my ability."

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Mike has now been living with a brain tumour for 12 years. He first experienced symptoms whilst he was climbing the Cotopaxi Volcano, Ecuador.

Mike said: "We were halfway into the ascent and I got a really painful migraine. I thought it was altitude sickness but the pain carried on. The next morning, I woke up with a painful migraine and it got progressively worse."

Mike Wild in hospital

He was rushed to a local hospital where he underwent an MRI and CT scan. The diagnosis was a colloid cyst - the same type of tumour that Davina McCall was diagnosed with in November 2024.

Mike said: "My world was smashed by a physical avalanche that I could never have planned for."

He is currently on a 'watch and wait' list for treatment, which he admits is frightening, but he refuses to let it stop him.

Over the past 12 years, Mike has had regular scans to monitor the tumour and check its growth. So far, his tumour has remained stable, and Mike has been living to the fullest.

Mike said: "From an early age I was exposed to death. I am determined to make the most out of my life."

Mike's CT scan revealed a tumour

On November 15, Davina McCall announced her diagnosis of a benign colloid cyst on her brain, discovered during a routine body scan. Mike hopes that Davina's diagnosis will raise more awareness and lead to increased funding for research into their shared type of tumour.

He added: "Hopefully Davina can shed some light on what it is like being diagnosed with the brain tumour.

"Like Davina, my tumour was identified by mistake. Hopefully the fact she has had a tumour will fuel funding and research that if allocated to it."

Mike with his wife Cynthia on holiday

A spokesperson for The Brain Tumour Charity said: "A huge thank you to Mike for sharing his story to raise awareness of colloid cysts.

“All of us at The Brain Tumour Charity wish Davina the very best for her continued recovery.

“As an inspiration to so many, we're grateful that Davina has chosen to raise awareness of this uniquely devastating disease.

"We are committed to funding pioneering research, campaigning for systemic change and offering support to all those whose lives are turned upside down by a brain tumour diagnosis.”