Race car champion receives devastating diagnosis after headache turns out to be brain tumor

A racing car champion explained how he was given a devastating diagnosis after headaches turned out to be a life-threatening brain tumor.

Rally driver Barry Barrable, 54, started suffering from migraines last September but didn’t think it was serious.

After seeing his GP, he was given a course of antibiotics for a suspected ear infection, but when the headaches persisted Barry was sent for a CT scan which revealed disturbing results.

Days later, the Dubliner, who now lives in Stamullen, Co. Meath, was undergoing major surgery by the neurology team at Beaumont Hospital where a 5cm cerebral glioblastoma was discovered in his temporal lobe right.

He said: “One day I was going to work selling cars and a few days later I was on a theater table having major brain surgery.

“A brain tumor never even entered my vocabulary in all my life, it was a shock to the system.

“You never think something like this is going to happen to you, it’s your worst nightmare.”

With little tumor research here, Barry is raising funds in case he needs more advanced treatment overseas, and any unused funds will go to Brain Tumor Ireland.

He added: “There is little to no tumor research in Ireland other than the Dublin Brain Bank. “

• For more fundraising details, search for Help Barry Beat His Brain Tumor on GoFundMe.