On the road to recovery

Sue Wigham, 30, learned in January that she had a brain tumour, having suffered chronic sight problems.

As a way of regaining some control of her destiny, she decided not to wait until she got to Oxford's John Radcliffe Infirmary before having her head shaved.

Instead, she had the job done at Goldsworthy's salon in Catherine Street, and was sponsored to the tune of £834.34, which has gone to help train brain surgeons at the hospital.

The operation was a success, and Sue, a Honda quality engineer who lives in Brooksby Way, Stratton St Margaret, is recovering at home.

She said: "The operation was successful, and there will be no radiotherapy, but it was nerve-wracking.

"I'm still in some pain and I have a lot of tablets to take, but it's just the healing process."

The 10 and a half hour operation undergone by Sue did not merely involve removing what turned out to be a benign tumour.

It was also necessary to reconstruct part of her face using bone taken from elsewhere on her skull. The operation involved an incision which needed 60 surgical staples to close.

Those staples are now out and safely in the custody of Sue's 12-year-old son, Charlie, as a souvenir of his mother's bravery.

Sue is spending much of her convalescence in the company of the family and friends who made her sponsored head shave such a success.

The hospital is one of the leaders in the field of neurosurgery.

Spokeswoman Alison Barnes said: "We are very lucky to have the support of grateful patients such as Sue, and we are very pleased to accept this very generous donation to our neurosurgery department."

Sue said before having her head shaved: "I am not in control of my life at the moment, and I think I need to do this as a way of regaining that control, and of staying positive."

The eye problems which originally prompted her diagnosis have subsided, and Sue says she is now looking forward to returning to work in a few weeks.

Barrie Hudson