A 21-year-old artist has died from an aggressive and incurable brain tumor just four weeks after doctors misdiagnosed his symptoms as a common infection. Tyler Morton, from Bedford, first reported an earache in January. His condition rapidly worsened, with the left side of his face becoming numb and him experiencing difficulty walking.
Following a hospital visit, Morton was diagnosed with an ear infection and vertigo and was sent home with antibiotics. When the medication had no effect and his condition deteriorated further, including vomiting and loss of function on his left side, a CT scan revealed a lesion on his brain. A subsequent biopsy at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge confirmed a diagnosis of grade 4 glioblastoma, a fast-growing and incurable form of brain cancer.
Morton was deemed too unwell to undergo treatments like chemotherapy, which might have extended his life. He passed away on March 25th, only weeks after his initial symptoms appeared. His sister, Ella Morton, 19, described the rapid decline, stating that three weeks prior to his diagnosis, he was walking and talking, but later became unable to perform basic functions.
"He was just a body at that point. Tyler was discharged from hospital to basically pass away at home," Ella Morton said. She expressed anger that the cancer was not detected earlier, believing more could have been done for him and that it would have provided a sense of having tried. The family is now working with the charity Brain Tumour Research on fundraising initiatives.
Brain Tumour Research reports that brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children and adults under 40 in the UK. Historically, only one percent of national cancer research funding has been allocated to brain tumors. Dr. Karen Noble, director of research and policy at Brain Tumour Research, highlighted Morton's case as a reflection of the challenges faced by many families and called for increased government investment in brain tumor research, more clinical trials, and an end to inequalities in access to genetic sequencing for treatment and trial opportunities.
Glioblastomas have gained attention in recent years due to the deaths of notable figures, including author Sophie Kinsella in December 2025 and Labour politician Dame Tessa Jowell in 2018. The Wanted singer Tom Parker also died from the disease in March 2022 after an 18-month battle.