Megan went to see her doctor with a headache
A 27-year-old woman has been warned there is a “ticking time bomb” in her head that could rupture at any moment. Megan Jackson says she now spends each day worrying it’ll be her last.
The mum-of-two had been experiencing “paralysing” headaches on and off for years and when she had one that wouldn’t go she went to the doctor. Despite not feeling overly concerned, she visited her GP for some reassurance – but was given a devastating diagnosis
“Knowing I have something in my brain that could instantly kill me is terrifying,” said Megan, a nurse from Hetton-le-Hole, Sunderland. I fear my children growing up without their mum. And also leaving behind my husband. It’s so scary; there’s a ticking time bomb in my head that could go off at any point.”
Megan had been dealing with headaches ever since she was diagnosed with high blood pressure in 2020, but she never let them hold her back. No amount of painkillers helped to ease the agonising pressure in March 2025, though, leaving her bedbound.
She assumed it was down to her former diagnosis coupled with daily stresses. Megan said: “The doctor noticed my left pupil was bigger than my right. I was sent to hospital for an emergency same-day scan. It was confirmed I had a brain aneurysm.
“And it was inoperable due to its size. Me and my husband, Liam, burst out crying. I could see the pure sadness in his face.”
If the 5mm aneurysm, a blood-filled bulge within a weakened artery wall, ruptures, it could cause a subarachnoid haemorrhage; that will kill Megan instantly. To help lower her risk, and eliminate stress, she’s taking various medications to help lower her blood pressure.
She’s currently on sick leave from her role as a nurse, which has followed her maternity leave after giving birth to little Albie, three months. During this period, she’s taken up baking, which has brought her a sense of relaxation.
In a bid to try and change her lifestyle, and to potentially save her life, she’s opened a cake shed which sells out every weekend. And hopes this will offer a new future for her, which will allow her to spend more time making memories with her family.
Megan, who is also mum to Georgie, two, added: “If things keep progressing like they are, I won’t be returning to nursing. I can’t believe the amount of people that turn up each week to buy things I have baked. Without their continued support, I probably wouldn’t be here today.
“Every time I open my eyes, I’m grateful I’m still alive. So I’m trying to live each day like it’s my last.”
