A NEW dad from Thurrock who was given antibiotics for an ear infection was later diagnosed with a rare cancerous bone tumour on his skull which was pressing on his inner ear.

Jake Watts, 29, started to notice his hearing fading in his right ear in early 2023 and was given antibiotics for an infection, although nothing improved.

Months down the line, he went to a routine eye test at Specsavers and the optician identified lots of blood vessels and high pressure behind his right eye.

Jake, an electrician from Stanford-le-Hope, was sent for an MRI scan which revealed high pressure behind his eye.

It turned out to be chondrosarcoma, a rare cancerous bone tumour, growing from his skull and into his brain, which had also been affecting his hearing.

He was in the process of having treatment scheduled when, during a camping trip away with partner Chloe March, 29, he was rushed to hospital with head pain and he was found to be having a brain bleed.

The bleed then caused a heart attack but luckily Jake survived.

He then went under the knife in a 16-hour surgery which removed 70% of the tumour followed by another to remove some additional tissue from the brain stem - by which point Chloe was eight months pregnant and gave birth amongst the chaos.

The successful surgery allowed him to begin proton beam therapy, an advanced form of radiotherapy to clear the remaining cancer, which he is currently undergoing.

But the young family are fundraising to help cover the costs of raising 10-month-old Orla Ann Watts while Jake is unable to work.

Jake said: "When the optician found the pressure behind my eye, they said it might just be high blood pressure, but it was best to get checked.

"When I was then being referred to cancer and tumour specialists, it was a bit of a panic to hear at just 26.

"The wheels were in motion for treatment when I got this weird pain in my head while away - and I knew something was wrong.

"In hospital I had a heart attack and nurses told me after that if I had been seen a second later, I would have gone into cardiac arrest.

"Then I needed the surgeries, just as our baby was born which threw a spanner into the works - and this was the same month we were due to move flat too.

"It's been hard but I'm proud of how well we've handled this."

It was in early 2023 when Jake first noticed his hearing going, and in November 2023 he was referred to Southend University Hospital following his worrying eye test.

His MRI results then saw him referred to Queen's Hospital's cancer and tumour specialists in Romford.

The tumour was found and biopsied, but things took a turn while away with Chloe celebrating their anniversary in September 2024.

Jake said: "On the last day of the trip I woke with this weird pain in my head which kept getting worse.

"I started being sick loads, in a lot of pain, and then I couldn't see.

"We rang an ambulance and I was in hospital for five days, having steroids to stop the brain bleed caused by the tumour.

"While I was there I had this sudden pain in my chest which turned out to be a heart attack caused by the spike in blood pressure because of the brain bleed."

In October 2024 he was sent for a biopsy and his surgeries were scheduled to begin in January 2025.

The surgeons were unable to remove all of the tumour as it had grown and become entangled with nerves, as well as having grown onto the brain stem.

This required a second surgery in January 2026, having been delayed as Chloe gave birth to baby Orla in September 2025.

His second surgery, to remove the remaining growth from the brain stem to allow them to start radiotherapy, led to further complications as Jake's head wound didn't heal and he began leaking brain fluid.

He said: "I thought I was bleeding when my head was wet. So I had to go back so they could drain enough fluid to keep the pressure low so the wound would heal."

He was discharged later that month and finally began proton beam therapy - the final stage in his treatment - in July.

Since then he has travelled to University College London Hospital every day by train Monday to Friday while he is unable to drive due to the treatment's effects.

The next steps will depend on how effective the radiotherapy has been after his next set of scans.

Despite the years that Jake and his family have now been going through the journey, they are remaining positive that the end is in sight.

They are fundraising as Jake has used up all of his sick leave at work and the couple are struggling to cover their mortgage payments on Chloe's single income while on maternity leave.

Jake said: "You can't make a fuss or feel depressed, it's not good for anyone.

"We've just had to take it in our stride.

"Having our baby through this has made me want to get well, coming home to her makes me feel better."

Fundraiser - https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jake-fight-cancer-not-financial-worries