What started as a sore wrist after a long-haul flight turned into a devastating diagnosis for Abi Smith—a deadly brain tumor that changed her life forever. Now, she’s using her journey to warn others and support life-saving research.

In the summer of 2019, 30-year-old Abi Smith from the West Midlands, UK, was excited for a trip to the US for her cousin’s wedding. At the time, she was a busy PR officer in Manchester, often working long hours at her computer. When pain began in her right wrist and forearm, she assumed it was carpal tunnel syndrome—a common issue for those who type frequently.

But once she landed in the US, her condition rapidly worsened.

“I couldn’t move the right side of my body. My eye turned inward, and I ended up in a stroke ward surrounded by people twice my age,” Abi shared. She had no idea her symptoms were signs of something far more serious.

The shocking diagnosis

Back in the UK, Abi was rushed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham for a full-body MRI. That’s when doctors discovered the real cause of her terrifying symptoms—a brain tumor.

“At first, they thought it was multiple sclerosis. But the MRI revealed a tumor at the base of my brain, with part of it stretching along my spine,” Abi said.