Nicholas Wade’s Incredible Pickleball Comeback: Nicholas Wade, a 27-year-old pickleball player and coach from Upminster, Essex, now living in Boise, Idaho, is fighting to become the best pickleball player in the world, just months after learning how to walk again following brain tumor surgery. His journey began with a seizure during sleep.
A Seizure and a Life-Changing Diagnosis
Nicholas Wade had no warning signs before the seizure. He had been training for a pickleball tournament and felt healthier than ever.
“I didn’t have any symptoms at all before the seizure,
I felt the fittest I have ever felt in my whole life.
I was training for a tournament that week. I had zero symptoms.
I went to sleep one night and had a seizure in my sleep.
Luckily, my wife is a nurse. She realized it was a seizure and called the ambulance to take me straight to the hospital.”-(Nicholas Wade)
Nicholas Wade’s wife, Beah Wade, 26, acted quickly when she saw the seizure and called emergency services.
He was taken to the hospital immediately. When he woke up, he couldn’t believe what was happening.
“First of all, I didn’t think it was real. I had to check myself to make sure it was real and I wasn’t dreaming,
It then started hitting me that if I had a seizure in my sleep, something was seriously wrong.
I was really scared in that moment—that was the first time I had been in hospital for anything.”(Nicholas said)
MRI Reveals Brain Tumor
Doctors sent Nicholas Wade for an MRI scan to find the cause of the seizure. The scan showed a mass on his brain, and he needed surgery to remove it.
The tumor was diagnosed as a benign glioneuronal tumor, a rare type that includes both nerve and glial cells. Doctors said it had likely been there since birth.
Recovery and a New Goal
After the surgery, Nicholas Wade had to relearn how to walk. Despite this huge challenge, he set a new goal—to become the world’s best pickleball player.
He has returned to training and coaching and is working hard every day. His journey from hospital bed to pickleball court has inspired many people.
News in Brief: Nicholas Wade’s Incredible Pickleball Comeback
Nicholas Wade had to relearn how to walk after surgery to remove a brain tumor. After recovering from a seizure and diagnosis, the 27-year-old now trains to become the world’s best pickleball player. With support from his wife, Beah Wade, he is rebuilding his life and chasing his dream.
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