He went to get his neck pain from weight-training checked — walked out with a terminal diagnosis and a 9-hour surgery ahead of him
Even a small pain can change the path of life, as a minor health concern may escalate into a serious condition. That was the case for Sean Sweeney, a 31-year-old from South Yorkshire, England, who went to have his ongoing neck pain checked after weight training. Instead of reassurance, he was faced with a life-limiting diagnosis of a high-grade brain tumor, an extensive nine-hour surgery, and a challenging medical journey ahead. The story, later reported by PEOPLE on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, came to light after events that unfolded in July 2022, reshaping everything he thought he knew about his health and future.
Sean first began noticing symptoms months earlier, including frequent headaches, muscle pain in his neck, and tingling down the right side of his body. Believing it was a sports-related injury, he booked several physiotherapy sessions. However, the appointments brought no relief. Doctors were unable to identify the cause and eventually discharged him. “That was worrying,” Sean said, explaining that he felt increasingly "frustrated and unsettled." He struggled to concentrate and sensed something was wrong, even though he could not explain it. The symptoms lingered, leaving him uneasy and increasingly concerned as weeks passed without answers.
Everything escalated in the early hours of July 19, 2022, when Sean suffered a sudden seizure, as per the Daily Mail. He was awakened by Lucy, his partner of 12 years. She called 999 (the U.K. equivalent of 911). "Within 20 minutes, I was blue-lighted to Doncaster Royal Infirmary," he shared. At the hospital, the CT scan revealed a lesion in his brain. “I felt completely numb. I didn’t cry or panic—my mind went straight to Lucy and my family,” he recalled. Doctors initially believed the tumor might be low-grade. Before undergoing treatment, Sean and Lucy decided to get married. In November 2022, he underwent a nine-hour awake surgery. During the procedure, he suffered an acute stroke, according to the Brain Tumour Research. “Because I was awake, I actually remember the moment things changed,” he said, describing how his speech became slurred. He was later told he had a grade 3 astrocytoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, and was given a limited life expectancy of 10 years.
Recovery was long and demanding. Beginning in January 2023, Sean went through five weeks of radiotherapy and later endured 12 cycles of chemotherapy, with his treatment course ending in February 2024. Telling his mother about the diagnosis was one of the hardest moments. “She was shocked and initially believed my surgery meant I was cured,” he said, explaining it took time for her to understand there was no cure. Today, Sean has returned to work, cycling, and raising funds for Brain Tumour Research with his family. He recently raised more than $3,300 through a cycling challenge and plans to continue. Reflecting on his journey, he shared a message of hope, “Stay positive and try not to dwell on what’s out of your control. It’s not easy, but I truly believe a positive mindset can help you keep moving forward.”