A Scottish family is grappling with a heartbreaking and statistically rare medical coincidence: two young cousins diagnosed with brain tumors years apart. lachlan Lindsay and Hazel Dempster’s diagnoses, first reported by the BBC, underscore the challenges of living with brain tumors and the emotional toll they take on patients and their families. Their stories offer a glimpse into the long-term effects of these conditions-and the resilience required to navigate them-even as doctors have found no apparent genetic link to explain the occurrences.
A rare and unsettling medical coincidence has struck a family in Scotland, as two cousins have been diagnosed with inoperable brain tumors years apart. The case highlights the unpredictable nature of these conditions and the challenges faced by those living with them.
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Lachlan Lindsay was just eight years old when doctors discovered a brain tumor after he began experiencing a slight eye turn and severe headaches.
He was rushed to what was then the Royal Hospital for Children in Edinburgh, where he underwent surgery to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid. The tumor was identified as a tectal glioma, a benign growth, but its location made complete removal impossible.
Six years later, history repeated itself within the same family. Hazel Dempster, Lachlan’s younger cousin, living in Kirkcudbright, began suffering from intense headaches. An MRI scan ordered by her family doctor led to emergency neurosurgery when a large brain tumor was detected.
“It was a huge shock because the probability (of two cousins having brain tumors) is tiny,” Hazel told the BBC. “But I think I now have a closer relationship with Lachlan because it’s something we both identify with and that no one else in our lives can really understand.”
Hazel, now 16, was diagnosed with a pilocytic astrocytoma of the optic chiasm, a slow-growing tumor that presses on the optic nerve and affects vision. Since her initial surgery, following a transfer to the Royal Glasgow Children’s Hospital, she has undergone six more operations.
She also received intensive chemotherapy, which caused side effects including persistent nerve pain and difficulty walking and using her fingers.
“It’s like wearing thick winter gloves every day, all the time,” the teenager explained.
A weakened immune system also prevented her from participating in typical childhood activities. Currently, she is receiving daily oral chemotherapy, allowing her to maintain a relatively normal life alongside frequent medical appointments.
While her tumor isn’t shrinking, it remains stable. Hazel has been able to resume activities like scouting and was recognized by the Chief Scout with a Hero of the Month award.
“I don’t think of it as anything special, it’s just my life. But it’s good that people see it as something bigger,” she says.
After years of limited travel, her family was finally able to take a train trip through Europe last summer.
The Impact of the Diagnosis on Lachlan
Lachlan, now 19 and a university student in Aberdeen, vividly remembers the moment of his diagnosis.
“I remember being told I had a tumor and that the hydrocephalus at the back of my head could kill me if it wasn’t treated,” he recalls.
Following surgery, he described experiencing excruciating pain:
“I woke up [from the operation] and felt the worst pain of my life, and nothing has compared to it since,” he describes.
He also recounted the fear he felt waking up alone in the hospital room.
The tumor caused dyspraxia, also known as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), and a slowing of his processing speed.
“Sometimes it takes me longer to work out a question in an exam because the tumor slows me down,” he explains.
Despite these challenges, he says he has adapted and continues to pursue his studies in English Literature, Film and Visual Culture, with aspirations of becoming a film director. The family is unaware of any genetic link between the two cases and believes it to be simply “bad luck,” according to the teenagers.
