Unable to cope with her lover’s serious brain cancer, a young woman decides to leave him while he battles the disease.
The London couple had life plans and were in the process of buying a house when Jelle Fresen was diagnosed with a rare form of stage 4 brain tumour, the Chron reports.
The 37-year-old man underwent delicate surgery to remove his tumor, followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
“We knew our plans for the future couldn’t work anymore,” says Danielle Epstein, Jelle’s lover.
“I was so worried and upset. I couldn’t sleep or eat,” adds the 32-year-old physics teacher.
While treating her boyfriend, Danielle has panic attacks.
“I was on so much medication that I just couldn’t function anymore,” she admits.
Realizing that Jelle’s fight was affecting her mental health, she decided to leave him. Then she moved to Thailand with her father.
“I felt like the most horrible person leaving someone because they have cancer, but it took a toll on my mental health and didn’t help Jelle,” Danielle clarifies.
For her part, Jelle had to deal with facial paralysis, vision problems and learning to speak again after her surgery. His battle with cancer was difficult.
The ex-boyfriends remained friends after their split, according to the Chron. And Danielle even decided to run the London marathon in honor of Jelle and for brain tumor research.
“I’m not a runner, but Jelle has run marathons. So I thought it would be a challenge for me and a nice tribute for him. That’s a goal I’ve set myself,” explains Danielle.