Thetford mum with terminal brain tumour forges friendship with Eastenders character Lola Pearce played by Danielle Harold
A mum-of-two living with a terminal brain tumour has forged a special friendship with a soap star playing the role of a dying patient.
Kylie Weatherby, of Thetford, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma (GBM) – the same highly aggressive tumour as EastEnders character Lola Pearce – whilst pregnant with twins in May 2021.
Kylie underwent surgery two weeks later, after delivering Luca and Malena by caesarean section at 37 weeks, and went on to have six weeks of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
The 34-year-old, who is now undergoing further chemo for a second brain tumour discovered six months ago, a rare stage 2 pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA), is a lifelong EastEnders fan who has been impressed by Danielle Harold’s portrayal of Lola.
In March, Kylie was introduced to Danielle on the EastEnders set at Elstree Studios, with Brain Tumour Research one of two charities working with EastEnders scriptwriters to ensure its brain tumour storyline is as realistic as possible.
Kylie said: “I’m so grateful to the charity for organising my visit to EastEnders and for introducing me to Danielle, who I hit it off with straight away.
“It was without a doubt one of the happiest days of my life, and such an amazing treat after all the health issues I’d been having.”
Danielle said: “It was great meeting Kylie and honestly it felt like we’d known each other for years.
“I showed her round the set, introduced her to my fellow cast members, chatted to her about her journey post-diagnosis and asked if there was anything I should do with Lola because it’s so important that I reflect what’s happening to real people in the brain tumour community.
“It’s been a privilege to play this storyline and to work so closely with Brain Tumour Research, which is the leading voice of the UK brain tumour community and does a fantastic job.”
The pair, who forged an instant friendship, have kept in touch ever since and even appeared together on BBC’s Morning Live today talking about their bond.
“Meeting Kylie and chatting to her have definitely been a highlight. She has the most beautiful family and I am so pleased we have found this bond in such difficult times.”
Susan Castle-Smith, head of PR and Communications at Brain Tumour Research, said: “When this storyline first aired, we were inundated with positive messages from people across the brain tumour community who recognised the importance of having it shown on such a popular platform.
“Danielle has been a great advocate in helping to raise awareness of brain tumours, taking part in our #ShineALight and Wear A Hat Day campaigns, and she has done an excellent job in her emotional portrayal of a terminal brain tumour patient.
“It was a pleasure to introduce Kylie to Danielle and very touching to see how well they bonded. We look forward to working with them on future projects as we continue our efforts to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately find a cure.”
