My doctors thought I fainted because I was afraid of spiders – I actually had brain cancer

A former England footballer was diagnosed with brain cancer after fainting at the sight of a spider – and was left speaking French after surgery.

Amy Carr, 33, collapsed in her bedroom after seeing a spider before waking up surrounded by paramedics.

Doctors mistakenly told the former player that the episode was driven entirely by an arachnid phobia – but she then had two more blackouts while at the gym.

Amy, from Hemel Hempstead, Bedfordshire, underwent an MRI scan which revealed she had a golf ball-sized tumor on her brain, which needed immediate surgery.

The personal trainer didn’t speak for a week after the operation – which was carried out while she was awake.

And the first day she could speak was only using her GCSE French, which she had learned years before.

Thankfully her English returned after a day.

At the time Amy was diagnosed, she was playing professionally for IL Sandviken in Norway after a four-year soccer scholarship to Chicago.

She is now monitored with regular scans and works as a healthy lifestyle specialist and goalkeeper coach.

During her football career, Amy earned 16 caps playing in goal for England U17 and U19 and also played for Chelsea, Arsenal and Reading.

Speaking about seeing the spider, she said: “I’ve never reacted that way to anything before.

“I knew I didn’t like spiders, but going dark seemed like an extreme response—I wouldn’t normally pass out just seeing one.”

She added: “I knew the risks of the operation, I was warned that I could die or be left with life-changing injuries. For a week after that I couldn’t walk or talk.

“The first time I spoke was in response to the nurses asking me how I was doing.

“I replied with my GCSE C grade in French comme ci, comme ça (so-so).

“Everyone was confused – I think my French finally came in handy!”

“The next day I went back to speaking English.â€

Her first symptoms began in 2013 when she had a seizure – after seeing a spider in her room in Hemel Hemstead.

She had two more seizures over the next two years.

Amy then had an MRI scan in February 2015 at Hemel Hemstead Hospital, which found the tumor – although the tumor was initially benign.

However, in July of the same year, the tumor had turned malignant and Amy had an operation.

She was given a 5% chance of dying from the tumor, while surgeons also believed that an operation had a 45% chance of leaving her paralyzed and a 45% chance of a complete success and full recovery.

Her operation was carried out while she was awake at London’s UCLH hospital – in a recent operation where the patient’s body is numb but they are still conscious.

The surgery left her unable to walk and speak for eight days — and when she finally spoke, it was in her GCSE-level French.

Amy also had “brutal” radiotherapy and chemotherapy alongside extensive physiotherapy.

“When it came to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, nothing could prepare me for the brutality of it,” she said.

“During the beginning, I vomited 27 times in two days. It got better, but it was hard.”

The tumor affected her coordination and Amy also says she has noticed changes in her personality.

She said: “I’m more direct now for sure and I have to think more carefully about what I say, I also get a lot more tired than I used to.”

She started fitness training while going through brutal cancer treatment – and says her dream now is to help other people going through the same thing.

Amy said: “I used to be able to kick and kick a ball through the goal on the halfway line, now I can’t.

On October 27, Amy completed the Dublin Marathon in four hours and 28 seconds and raised more than $2,573 for Brain Tumor Research.

Amy: “I find the lack of post-treatment support confusing. That’s why I started a career supporting people in their recovery.”

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager at Brain Tumor Research, said: Amy’s story is a reminder that brain tumors are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age.

“Amy has shown remarkable resilience, determination and generosity in not only sharing her experience of illness, but also in supporting the community through her marathon fundraising efforts.”