A family has spoken of their grief after a “kind-hearted” young father died from a brain tumor that was initially misdiagnosed as appendicitis.
‘Brave’ Joshua Warner first started suffering from headaches and feeling unwell in late June this year and sought medical help.
Joshua’s family said doctors performed a CT scan and told him he had appendicitis, even though the 25-year-old had not complained of abdominal pain.
Joshua, from south-east London, underwent an appendectomy but was readmitted to hospital just hours after returning home as he still felt unwell.
This led to another scan, which found abnormalities in his brain.
However, his family said this was due to a computer error and doctors discharged him again.
Four-year-old Andrew’s father said he was repeatedly turned away from visits to A&E.
After collapsing on the floor of his grandparents’ bathroom, he was taken to another hospital, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, where he underwent another CT scan.
These results were consistent with previous scans from Darent Valley Hospital.
Less than 24 hours later, he received the shocking news that he had a large brain tumor.
It had spread from the right side of his brain to his back and brainstem.
On September 5, the self-employed carpenter underwent a biopsy and was diagnosed with midline glioma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Doctors told Joshua’s family he had three months to live, but he died just 12 days later at Greenwich Bexley Community Hospice.
Now, his family is sharing his story in hopes of raising awareness about this deadly disease.
“He didn’t want other people to believe his story, so he wanted to highlight the symptoms of his brain tumor,” said his mother, Eve Pateman.
Paying tribute to Josh, she said: “Josh was fun and loved making people laugh.
“He was a mischievous person, and he had a beautiful soul and a really kind heart. I think that’s why most people liked him. He touched people’s hearts.
“He was a great father, brother and great son. He was just a great person.
“I can’t tell you how brave he was through all of this because he was so brave. He never moaned. I think I would have felt sorry for myself, but he’s never been like that. That never happened.
“He wanted to share his story because he didn’t want others to believe it, and he wanted to highlight the symptoms of brain cancer.
“He didn’t want anyone else to go through what he went through.”
The coroner told Eve, who lives in Bexleyheath, that a report was being sent to the coroner’s office.
A fundraising page has been set up to support Joshua’s treatment and has raised more than £20,000. The money will now be donated to a fund for his son.
Eve added: “We’ve had so much support from our community and our families. People have been incredibly generous. We’ve been just overwhelmed by the generosity of businesses and people.
“It was Joshua’s wish that the funds raised be donated to a trust fund for his son. It is a truly beautiful legacy that he left behind.
“He loved his son so much. It’s heartbreaking to see Andrew asking for the whereabouts of his father.”
To donate, visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/joshuawarner.
Joshua’s family is in the process of filing a complaint about his care. A spokesperson for Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust said the incident was being investigated.
Common symptoms of brain tumors include:
- headache
- Seizure (seizure)
- Persistent feeling unwell (nausea), unwell (vomiting), or sleepy
- Mental or behavioral changes, such as memory problems or personality changes
- progressive weakness or paralysis on one side of the body
- Visual or language problems.