'I lost the ability to speak while on holiday'
Stephen RhodesA man who discovered he had a brain tumour after he lost the ability to speak is running the London Marathon to help fund research into the disease.
Stephen Rhodes, from Barnard Castle, County Durham, was on holiday with his family in France in 2012 when he became ill.
He underwent brain surgery in the UK and the tumour was successfully removed.
"What happened was one of the most frightening moments of my life but I have been fantastically lucky," he said.
Rhodes, 55, had "absolutely no inkling that anything was wrong".
But on the last day of the trip to Normandy during a drink in the bar, he began to experience "blind panic" when he realised he could not talk.
Steve Rhodes"My brain was producing words but I couldn't elaborate anything with my mouth but I had no idea why, I just felt so much fear," he said.
The next thing Rhodes remembered was waking up on the floor having had a seizure but he could speak.
After a scan in France, he was taken back to the UK for treatment but fortunately, the tumour was very small and he has made a full recovery with no long-term effects.
He said he had tried to get a place in the London Marathon via the ballot many times and had usually felt "a bit relieved" not to be successful.
But when a colleague's wife died of a brain tumour it was the "kick up the bum" he needed to "stop being so pathetic" and he got a charity place with Brain Tumour Research.
"All I want is to run it all, I don't care how long it takes, I just want to get around, because I'm so lucky to still be here," he said.
