Dad diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer after smelling this

By Megan Pocock

A dad was diagnosed with an aggressive and incurable cancer after he started experiencing an unusual symptom - randomly smelling cotton candy.

Steve Turnbull, 63, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma after months of strange smells, sickness, and problems with his vision and balance.

The dad-of-two first became unwell shortly after New Year's Day 2024, when he suddenly vomited after tasting gravy.

Days later, he was hit by a wave of bizarre smells including cotton candy.

After he noticed other symptoms like losing balance, headaches and difficulty walking, an MRI scan revealed a brain tumor the size of a tennis ball in June 2024.

Steve had extensive radiotherapy and chemotherapy to manage the tumor’s size and is now awaiting results from a follow-up MRI scan to determine the next steps.

He wants to warn others of unusual symptoms that can be the first indicator of a brain tumor.

Steve, an IT project manager, from Letham, Angus, Scotland, said: “A few days after the gravy incident, I blew out a candle and was hit by a strange smell of candy floss.

"Then I was sick again. That became the pattern.

"I also had vision problems. Around that time, I was referred to gastroenterology, but they dismissed it. We just didn't know what was going on.

"Being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor was a terrifying truth.

"If my story helps someone push for a scan when something feels wrong, it is worth telling.

"Even those early symptoms, like strange smells and sudden sickness, might make sense to someone else now."

Steve didn't think much of it when he vomited on New Year's Day, but found it strange when he began smelling unusual scents, which caused him to vomit more frequently.

He initially visited his G,P but the problems persisted.

He said: "The GP thought it was migraines and prescribed amitriptyline, but it didn't help."

Things worsened in June 2024 at his daughter's wedding - when he ended up being rushed to the hospital with a suspected stroke.

Steve said, "I gave a speech and walked her down the aisle.

"By the evening, I was losing my balance, my speech was slurred, and one side of my mouth had drooped.

"I don't drink, so everyone knew something was seriously wrong."

Steve went to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, where doctors initially suspected he had suffered a mini stroke.

However, multiple tests came back clear. He was sent home more than once, despite worsening headaches and difficulty walking.

It wasn’t until he received an MRI scan toward the end of June that the cause became clear.

It revealed a large mass, the size of a tennis ball, on Steve’s brain.

Steve said, "I was given two options.

"I could do nothing and focus on comfort, or go in for a craniotomy to remove as much of the tumor as possible and get a definitive diagnosis."

He underwent surgery on July 12, where they took a sample about the size of a table tennis ball.

Steve said, “They were honest from the beginning.

"The goal wasn't to cure me, it was to reduce the tumor, manage symptoms, and prolong stability.

“Just when we thought things were getting better, pathology confirmed I had a glioblastoma, an aggressive and cancerous form of brain tumor.

"It was a terrifying truth."

Steve went on to have 30 sessions of radiotherapy alongside chemotherapy with temozolomide.

When the tumour progressed, he began second-line chemotherapy (PCV), which he completed in July 2025.

He is currently awaiting the results of a follow-up MRI to determine next steps.

To mark one year since his surgery and no longer needing a walking frame, Steve and his wife, Heather, 63, a qualifications and awards lead for Police Scotland, took on the Dundee Kiltwalk on August 17 in support of the Scottish Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence.

They set a target of $1,000 and have already raised more than $1,750.

Steve's niece and nephew, Erin and Rhys, will also run the Edinburgh Marathon next year to fund the Centre's vital research into glioblastoma, the same type of tumor he is living with.

Steve said: "It means everything to know others want to help.

"Research into brain tumors is so underfunded even though it's the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40.

"That needs to change. If my story helps someone push for a scan when something feels wrong, it is worth telling.

"Even those early symptoms, like strange smells and sudden sickness, might make sense to someone else now.

"This tumour is not going away, but we are not giving up. I will do whatever it takes - clinical trials, travel, anything - to help others in future."

Ashley McWilliams, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: "Steve's story shows how subtle and confusing the symptoms of a brain tumor can be.

"His determination to raise awareness and funds, even while awaiting scan results, is incredibly inspiring. We are so grateful to Steve, Heather, and their family for supporting our cause."