A great-grandpa from Greenwich grew 12 inches in height and went up four shoe sizes after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Andrew Smith underwent a six month-growth spurt following his diagnosis with a pituitary tumour in 2014.
This was accompanied by drastic mood swings and Andrew’s daughter Sarah admitted her dad became “a completely different person”.
Andrew, 60, also gained weight over the six-month period and after having the tumour removed however was put in an induced coma after the operation.
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Following the surgery, Andrew is in remission but can no longer work and tires easily.
His illness has inspired his daughters Sarah and Sharon to take part in a brain tumour awareness fundraiser this month.
Mother-of-four Sarah said: “He went to a ridiculous size and looked like a giant. His growth was out of control.
“He went from a size 11 shoe to a size 15 and from 6ft 5in tall to 7ft 6in.
“It all happened quite quickly, over about six months.
“Dad would get very short-tempered and would go from zero to 10 within seconds.
“It was like he was a completely different person at times and because it was on the growth part of his brain, his whole body grew.
“He also gained a lot of weight and there’s talk now that he might be able to have an operation to reduce some of the flab he put on.
“He had his brain tumour removed and was put in an induced coma when he came out of the operation.
“He can’t work now and gets tired very easily but he’s what they call in remission and only has to go for check-ups every now and then.”
Retired catering manager Andrew - who is a grandfather-of-ten and great-grandfather-of-three - has inspired his daughters to take part in Wear a Hat Day on March 25 in aid of the Brain Tumour Research charity.
Sarah and Sharon will don clown hats and walk up and down London Bridge to spread awareness and raise funds.
Sarah added: “It’s a busy area and the hats are very colourful and silly so it should be a fun day.
“It’s also going to make Dad very proud.
“He got quite emotional when I told him about it, about us trying to do something to help.”
Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.
But according to Brain Tumour Research, just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to the disease.
Dr Karen Noble, Director of Research, Policy and Innovation at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Brain tumours kill more children and young people under 40 than any other cancer and are indiscriminate, affecting anyone at any time.
“We see all sorts of symptoms as a result of this devastating disease, including those from pituitary tumours which can cause an overproduction of growth hormones.”
Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “It’s great to hear that Andrew’s doing so well after everything he’s been through.
“His story is an incredible one and serves as a reminder of just how varied brain tumours and their symptoms can be.
“We really appreciate the support of his daughters and hope their planned Wear a Hat Day event on London Bridge is as fun as it sounds it will be.”
A spokesperson for Wear A Hat Day said: “Now in its 13th year, Wear A Hat Day has raised more than £2 million for Brain Tumour Research to help fund the fight against the disease.
“It is one of the UK’s biggest and best-loved brain tumour research awareness and fundraising days.
“This year, the charity’s Wear A Hat Day pin badges have a regal theme in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and several of the charity’s celebrity ambassadors are fronting the campaign, including TV personalities Danny Clarke and Sarah Beeny, actor and long-time supporter Dame Sheila Hancock DBE, and brain tumour survivor Caprice Bourret.
“Danny lost his sister to a brain tumour; Sheila's grandson was treated for the disease when he was just four years old; Sarah was in her 20s when she lost her mum to a brain tumour; Caprice had surgery for a brain tumour six years ago.
“They are encouraging everyone to take part and help fund the fight against this devastating disease.”
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