A UK man, aged 25, sadly passed away from a brain tumor after being misdiagnosed by doctors who initially believed it was appendicitis. The man, Josh Warner, a self-employed carpenter and a young father, went to Darent Valley Hospital in June complaining of headaches and nausea. A CT scan revealed no signs of abdominal pain but doctors wrongly diagnosed him with appendicitis and scheduled him for surgery to remove his appendix.
However, just a few hours after returning home following the surgery, Warner was readmitted to the hospital as he still felt unwell. Another CT scan was conducted, which showed an abnormality in his brain. Despite this, the doctors attributed it to a computer error and discharged him once again, blaming an issue with the scan machine for the anomaly.
Warner continued to seek answers for his pain by visiting the hospital multiple times, but he was repeatedly turned away. Then, one day, he collapsed in his grandparents’ bathroom and was rushed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where a CT scan confirmed a large brain tumor that had spread from the right side of his brain to the back and brain stem.
On September 5, a biopsy was performed, and Warner was diagnosed with midline glioma, an aggressive form of brain cancer with an average life expectancy of less than one year. Doctors gave him a prognosis of only three months to live, but he passed away just 12 days after the diagnosis, on September 17, at the Greenwich and Bexley Community Hospice.
Warner’s family is now sharing his story to raise awareness about this deadly disease. His mother, Eve Pateman, stated, “Sadly on Sunday 17th September, our beautiful boy took his last breath. He was honestly the bravest person we have ever met and our hearts are broken. Even though he was massively let down, he showed such courage and wanted to share his story and highlight the symptoms of brain tumor so that no one else ever gets misdiagnosed or not believed. We miss our son terribly and thank all who have been so very supportive of us during this incredibly difficult time.”
A fundraising page had been set up to support Warner through his treatment, but the funds will now be used for his son. The family is also planning to file a complaint against the hospital that misdiagnosed Warner’s illness and turned him away. The case is currently under examination by a spokesperson for Darent Valley Hospital and Gravesham NHS Trust.