In this powerful and intimate episode of The Aunty M Brain Tumours Talk Show, host Claire Bullimore sits down with Julia, who opens up about one of the most challenging experiences of her life—her father’s diagnosis with astrocytoma, a type of brain tumour, in 2013.
“My father didn’t want to be seen as weak,” Julia explains. “It broke something in me, not just because he was ill, but because he carried it alone.”
What started with confusion and silence slowly unravelled into a story of courage, reflection, and emotional transformation. Julia shares how her father initially kept his diagnosis private, only revealing the truth when chemotherapy made it impossible to hide any longer.
The Weight of Silence: Family Dynamics After Diagnosis
As Julia recounts the journey, she touches on the ripple effects within the family, particularly the shift in her mother’s role to overprotectiveness and how it affected their relationships. The family struggled to communicate, and Julia found herself caught between the roles of daughter, supporter, and silent sufferer. 
Finding Her Voice: Journaling, Counselling, and Emotional Growth
Overwhelmed by emotion and responsibility, Julia turned to counselling and journaling—tools that allowed her to express what she couldn’t say out loud. These practices became not only outlets for grief but instruments of clarity and personal growth.
When the Diagnosis Changes Everything
Julia speaks candidly about the long-lasting impact of her father’s brain damage. “He’s not the same,” she says. “And that’s okay, but it took me a long time to understand what we’d really lost.” She explains how even everyday experiences—like her dad’s fear of flying—were shaped by the invisible scars of brain injury.
“I’ve learnt what ‘invisible disability’ really means,” she says. “It’s not about pity—it’s about understanding and respect.”
One of the most powerful insights Julia shares is about invisible disabilities—how people living with brain tumours or damage often “look fine” but face constant mental, cognitive, and emotional struggles.
A Changed Perspective on Time, Family, and Life
One of the most poignant moments is when Julia reflects on inherited emotional patterns and the clarity this journey has brought her about what truly matters.
This experience didn’t just shape how she saw her father—it reshaped her worldview. Julia ends the conversation by speaking about the need for greater societal understanding of brain tumours and the invisible disabilities they often cause.
Her story is a powerful reminder that behind every diagnosis is a family, a story, and a deep well of emotion that deserves to be heard.
Find Julia online:
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LinkedIn: Star Projects London
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Instagram: @starprojects.london
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