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MAESTEG: Dad’s extraordinary fortnight — cancer surgery, a first grandchild and a walk down the aisle

In the space of eleven days, Lee Brain had a six-hour operation to remove a cancerous tumour, became a grandfather for the first time — and walked his daughter down the aisle.

The 47-year-old school caretaker, who lives in Caerau near Maesteg and works at Coleg Cymunedol y Dderwen in Tondu, was diagnosed with sarcoma earlier this year.

It began in February, when he felt a pain in his shoulder while organising the staging for a school concert — a small lump had developed, and he thought nothing of it.

But by April it had doubled in size, and his wife Emmaleen insisted he saw his GP. Scans and a biopsy followed, and the diagnosis was confirmed.

“When the doctor told me, I thought he was wrong,” Lee said. “Then it sunk in and I started crying.”

Sarcoma is an uncommon cancer of the body’s connective tissue — fat, muscle, nerves, blood vessels and bone — accounting for fewer than two per cent of adult cancers. In south and mid Wales, patients are supported by the South Wales Sarcoma Service, hosted by Swansea Bay University Health Board and based at Morriston Hospital.

Consultant plastic, reconstructive and sarcoma surgeon Thomas Bragg operated on Lee on 2 June. “It was rapidly growing so we did the operation within a few days,” he said.

“He had a microsurgical reconstruction, taking soft tissue from his thigh and placing it onto his shoulder. This involved suturing blood vessels into his shoulder using a microscope.

“Because we operated so quickly we hope we have managed to save structures in the shoulder to not only clear the tumour but also maintain function. Next step will be recovery, physiotherapy, and radiotherapy.”

Four days after the operation, on 6 June, Lee’s youngest daughter Bethan and her husband Ben had a little boy — Cian Lee Joseph Page, his first grandchild.

Lee with newborn grandson Cian Lee Joseph Page. Image: Lee Brain / Swansea Bay University Health Board

A week after that, on 13 June, his older daughter Cody married her partner Sean — and Lee was determined to walk her down the aisle. “It was a bit of a struggle and I was in a lot of pain, but I did it,” he said.

“I can’t just go and sit in the corner and try not to think about it,” he added. “I had some incentives.”

Proud dad: Lee walks daughter Cody down the aisle. Image: Lee Brain / Swansea Bay UHBLee’s shoulder, where the sarcoma developed. Image: Lee Brain / Swansea Bay UHB

Lee is now recovering from two large surgical wounds, which need time to heal before radiotherapy and physiotherapy can begin — and he says he is grateful to Mr Bragg and the Morriston team who cared for him.

He has told his story to mark Sarcoma Awareness Month, which runs through July — and he credits Emmaleen with catching it in time, saying that without her insistence, “I would have just let it drag on.”

Lee with surgeon Mr Thomas Bragg and sarcoma cancer support worker Lucy Whiddett. Image: Lee Brain / Swansea Bay University Health Board

Mr Bragg’s advice is direct: “The message is a very simple one. If you have a lump which is growing rapidly, or is bigger than five centimetres, or feels deep, or is painful, go and see your GP.” Most lumps turn out to be benign, he said — but the earlier a sarcoma is diagnosed, the better for the patient.

The South Wales team has worked with the charity Sarcoma UK to organise the Rare But Real walk in Swansea on Saturday 22 August, which Lee will be involved with. “Get it checked out if you have any concerns,” he said.

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#Caerau #Cancer #ColegCymunedolYDderwen #Maesteg #MorristonHospital #PlasticSurgery #Sarcoma #SarcomaUK #Tondu