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Woman, 28, who fled fake 'tsunami' after 'going mad' only has months to live

Caoimhe Jennings, 28, was on a dream holiday in Thailand with her now-husband Ollie when she began experiencing paranoia and other alarming brain tumour symptoms she mistook for stress

[Caoimhe Jennings before her diagnosis]

Caoimhe Jennings only has moths to live(Image: Jam Press)

A woman has shared her experience of believing she was "going mad" during what should have been a dream holiday until doctors discovered the root cause.

As Caoimhe Jennings gazed out at the idyllic beach, she had hoped this would be a journey to remember. It certainly was but for all the wrong reasons.

The 28-year-old had whisked her now-husband, Ollie, off to Thailand to celebrate his 30th birthday, eager to create lasting memories. However, their time together was about to be abruptly cut short.

The tax specialist, from Derry, experienced multiple symptoms indicating her life was in serious danger, with paranoia being the most prominent.

[Caoimhe Jennings and her husband, Ollie]

Caoimhe Jennings and her husband, Ollie(Image: Jam Press)

"I thought I was completely losing my marbles," Caoimhe told creatorzine.com. "We had been sitting for dinner at the beach when the tide seemed a bit higher than the night before. I was absolutely convinced there was about to be a tsunami, so I made Ollie go back to the hotel with me."

"I also had convinced myself that I was feeling unwell because of methanol poisoning from one sip of an alcoholic drink. I was properly paranoid.

"On a boat cruise, there were giant lizards along the side of the water. What's really crazy is that I couldn't see them at all even though they were four feet long and easily visible in all our photos."

Another moment that heightened her fears that something more sinister was happening was when she suddenly forgot how to ride a bike. This began in January 2025 when Caoimhe started suffering from dry eyes, reports the Irish Mirror.

[Caoimhe Jennings after surgery]

Caoimhe Jennings after surgery(Image: Jam Press)

She was recommended to use eye drops to alleviate the symptoms, but they had little to no effect. Although she wasn't a heavy drinker, she would often enjoy a glass or two of wine in the evening.

However, when she woke up severely ill, unable to keep down even water, it set off alarm bells. At that point, she had just landed a new job, which offered her the opportunity to return to Ireland after residing in Liverpool.

Her start date was confirmed a week before their planned trip to Thailand, leading Caoimhe to attribute her symptoms to stress. Regrettably, her condition only worsened to the extent that it was evident her body was failing.

Unexpectedly, while sober, she wet herself and woke up one morning with her entire face and feet swollen. Caoimhe also started experiencing double vision, prompting her to visit her local optician for a scan.

[Ollie proposed to Caoimhe before surgery]

Ollie proposed to Caoimhe before surgery(Image: Jam Press)

When the results came back, she was urged to rush to A&E immediately.

She said: "The doctor's face dropped as I told them what was going on. I truly thought it would be nothing.

"Within an hour, I was in surgery for hydrocephalus, where they had to put a drain in my brain to rid of the excess fluid. And then the next morning they told me there was a large brain tumour at the centre of my brain."

In September 2025, Caoimhe underwent additional surgery, which involved creating a hole in the membrane to facilitate self-draining. Due to the tumour's precarious location, it couldn't be removed.

Given the life-threatening risk of the surgery, Ollie seized the opportunity to propose. He had initially planned to pop the question the following weekend, but decided to bring it forward in case time ran out.

Fortunately, the operation was successful and despite a lengthy recovery period ahead, she was optimistic about what lay ahead. Tragically, in October, it was confirmed that the tumour had mutated and was terminal.

She said: "When I asked what the life expectancy was, they told me it was months, not years. Chemotherapy wouldn't help at this stage and while radiotherapy wouldn't shrink the tumour, it could buy me some time."

[Caoimhe Jennings' head CT-scan result]

Caoimhe Jennings' head CT scan result(Image: Jam Press)

In the weeks leading up to her surgery, Caoimhe busied herself with wedding plans, determined to say 'I do' before her time ran out. In January 2026, they became man and wife.

Now, even though each day is treated as potentially her last, there have been encouraging signs of the tumour shrinking. Not wanting to waste another moment, Caoimhe has retired from her job and is using her pension to live life to the fullest.

She added: "I'm trying to stay positive about it all now. I'm in no pain compared to what I was like this time last year.

"I weirdly see myself as very lucky compared to other people in these situations. I have an amazing husband, a supportive family that isn't giving up on me and great in-laws who would do absolutely anything for me.

"I know I'm going to die young, but I'm not accepting the months they've given me I'm praying for years. I'm making the most of every day and I've recently started baking. I'm either getting good at it or no one wants to upset the girl with cancer."

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