Swansea plumber was on final day of dream holiday when his life suddenly changed forever

A plumber from Swansea who was celebrating his 30th birthday on a dream holiday had his life turned upside down when he suffered seizures which lead to a devastating diagnosis. Ashley Curtis, from Swansea , was onboard a cruise to Miami with his extended family for a special birthday treat when he suffered a seizure on deck during the last day of his family's trip. or our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . The ship's doctor checked the father of two and told him to rest and eat something. Later that evening at dinner Ashley had another seizure in the ship's restaurant. As soon as the cruise docked an ambulance was waiting at the port and the father-of-two was taken straight to the University of Miami Hospital where doctors gave him the devastating news. The young plumber was shocked to be diagnosed with an oligodendroglioma brain tumour. "Being told I had a brain tumour was terrifying, especially being so far from home in another country," said Ashley. "Everything happened so quickly and it felt like our whole world had been turned upside down overnight." With the family due to fly home to the UK that same evening, the rest of the family, Ashley's sister-in-law Harleigh and her parents made the "heartbreaking decision" to return home with the couple’s children while Ashley remained in America with his wife, Casey, 26 and his parents. Two days later, thousands of miles from home, Ashley underwent emergency surgery in Miami and remained in the USA for a month while he recovered. "We were supposed to be flying home to the UK that evening, but, after scans, the doctors told us Ashley had a brain tumour and would need urgent surgery," Casey said. "Because we were there with our children as well as other family members, we had to make the heartbreaking decision for everyone else (in the family) to fly home while I stayed in America with Ashley and his parents." "Everything happened so quickly and at that point we knew nothing about brain tumours or what life would look like afterwards. "We had to remain in America for a month until Ashley was fit to fly home. He began suffering focal seizures where his jaw and hand would twitch, but thankfully the medication helped to control them." When Ashley was able to return home a month later further scans at the University Hospital of Wales showed more of the tumour could be removed, leading to a second operation in June 2024. After that operation, the young dad lost all movement and feeling down his left side. "It was devastating," said Casey. "He had physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and worked so hard to regain his strength and movement." Two years and a lot of hard rehabilitation work later and life is looking much brighter. Ashley is back working as a plumber, playing football again and trying to enjoy life as normally as possible. He now has to have six monthly scans to check his recovery. "The surgeries and recovery were incredibly tough, but I’m grateful to still be here and able to get back to doing the things I love with my family," he said. Casey added: "There is always a cloud hanging over us, but we try to stay positive. You never think something like this will happen to your family. Brain tumours come out of nowhere. "What I want people receiving a diagnosis today to know is that there is hope. Everybody’s journey is different, but there can absolutely be life after a brain tumour. " Two years on Ashley's sister in law Harleigh Phillips is preparing to take on a 10,000ft skydive to raise awareness and funds for Brain Tumour Research, a charity that has helped the family. Harleigh said: “There are people living with brain tumours for 10 or 15 years and living fulfilling lives. It’s not always doom and gloom. Ashley has shown incredible strength through everything he’s faced.” Harleigh has already raised more than £1,000 for Brain Tumour Research and hopes to raise even more ahead of the jump. She said: “I’m nervous about jumping from 10,000 feet, but it will be an amazing experience and it’s all for such an important cause. Raising awareness is just as important as raising funds.” Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer and more men under 70 than prostate cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has historically been allocated to this disease, the charity says. The family is also supporting the Brain Tumour Research manifesto for Wales, which calls for greater investment in research and improved outcomes for patients across Wales. By sharing Ashley’s story, they hope to raise awareness of the need for more funding and better treatment options. Ashley said: “Brain tumours can affect anyone and our family knows first-hand how quickly life can change. We’re supporting the manifesto because more research and investment is desperately needed so that families like ours can have more hope for the future.” You can donate Harleigh’s skydive here . Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice .