Dad with brain tumour saved by son, 11, after having seizure at wheel on M6

A single dad who discovered he had a brain tumour after suffering a seizure while behind the wheel and crashing has hailed his 11-year-old son for saving his life.

Gary Fordham, 43, blacked out while travelling on the M6 two years ago when his van veered off the carriageway, flipped on its side and landed facing oncoming traffic.

His son Hayden, now 13, was sitting in the passenger seat and ended up trapped under his dad but somehow managed to find his dad's phone in the footwell of the vehicle.

The youngster dialled 999 while a number of other road-users stopped to help by using a saw to open one of the windows, setting Hayden and his pet dog Buster free.

Gary, a chemical dosing engineer, was freed from the vehicle a short time later by fire service personnel and was rushed to hospital.

He was found to have only minor injuries from the crash; however, tests carried out on Gary identified a previously undiagnosed tumour in his brain.

The tumour had caused the seizure and ultimately the crash, he was told.

Gary said: "I was in complete disbelief and it took a few days for it to really sink in. My main concern, as a single parent, was I didn’t want Hayden to lose his dad."

He added: "I'm indebted to Hayden for making that 999 call.

"The things he has dealt with make him an absolute hero and I couldn’t be prouder.

"From contacting the emergency services when we were trapped, to taking on board my brain tumour diagnosis, he has shown such strength in the face of adversity.

"Without Hayden, I would have struggled so much. I'm so proud of what a team we've become."

The crash happened near Stoke-on Trent at around 2pm on December 31, 2018, while the pair were driving home to Bradford, West Yorks., following a Christmas visit with family Swindon.

Hayden said: "I was really scared when my dad slumped over the wheel and when I was on the phone to 999.

"I didn’t have a clue where we were and Buster wouldn’t stop barking, so I had to try and calm him down at the same time.

"Dad was trying to undo his seatbelt and I was shouting at him to stop, otherwise he would’ve fallen on me and crushed me.

“I remember a man and woman came to help and they told me to look away as they broke in with the saw to rescue us.

"I covered Buster’s eyes with one hand and my dad’s eyes with the other.

"I would love to thank the people who pulled over to help. If they hadn’t have stopped, things could’ve been very different."

After being discharged from Royal Stoke Hospital, Gary’s care was transferred to Leeds General Infirmary (LGI).

He was given an MRI scan and, in April 2019, he had surgery to remove the tumour.

A biopsy revealed the tumour was an astrocytoma, the most common type of primary glioma brain tumour in both children and adults.

Gary recovered well from surgery initially but, a few days later, he was diagnosed with a bone flap infection which resulted in a second operation to remove part of his skull.

A year-and-a-half on and he is still waiting for an operation to replace the missing bone flap with a titanium plate.

Gary said: "I became very self-conscious of my appearance, as I’ve been left me with an unusually-shaped head.

"I’ve worn a baseball cap ever since and don’t like to go out without it."

He added his latest scan showed some tumour growth and said the plan is to remove that at the same time the plate is fitted.

Gary said he had been suffering from severe headaches for 15 years and had been to the doctors several times but was always told they were "just migraines".

He said: "It’s frustrating that my symptoms were misdiagnosed time and time again.

"We were so fortunate to survive the accident but it’s maddening to think that it could have been prevented altogether, if I’d got an earlier diagnosis."

As Gary and Hayden approach the second anniversary of their ordeal, they are keen to hear from the people who helped them at the scene of the crash.

Gary said: "I’ve always regretted that I never got to thank the wonderful people who stopped to help us on the M6.

"I will be forever grateful for what they did that day. It would be lovely if Hayden and I could meet them, to express our sincere gratitude."

As part of their appeal for information Hayden has also set up a fundraising page called ‘Hayden’s Appeal’ to raise money for Brain Tumour Research.

Hayden and his dad are working with the charity to help raise awareness of brains tumours, which kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.

Donate here:  https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/haydensappeal