Scottish woman claims hero horse found her brain tumour

A Scottish woman says her brain tumour was detected by her pet horse.

Kelly Ann Alexander, 43, says horse Aliyana was the reason she felt compelled to go to the hospital to have tests.

She said after she began suffering seizures Aliyana started to sniff the right side of her head.

Kelly Ann went for tests which revealed a low-grade brain tumour.

Kelly Ann Alexander, 43, says horse Aliyana was the reason she felt compelled to go to the hospital to have tests PA

Kelly Ann, from West Lothian, has spoken out ahead of Brain Tumour Awareness month in March, and is working with Brain Tumour Research to raise awareness.

'The best therapy I could ever have'

The former HGV driver said: "My horse is the best therapy I could have.

And although Kelly Ann suffered a setback when her tumour returned following initial surgery to remove it, she says that Aliyana is the "best therapy I could have" picture: PA

"She has adapted her behaviour to help me and, looking back, I now realise she was the first to make any sense to what was happening to me.''

Kelly Ann had just taken up her dream job as a groom in a professional yard in Aberdeenshire when she first became ill in October 2015.

Just weeks earlier she and Aliyana had completed in their first dressage competition together.

She said: "My bond with Aliyana made me focused on recovering as quickly as possible. Doctors told me I wouldn't be able to ride for a year, but I was actually back in the saddle after just seven months." picture: PA

"Within days of the dressage competition, I had my first seizure and then was having up to 14 or 15 a day which were always preceded by a horrible metallic taste and smell.

"I was prescribed the anti-epilepsy drug Keppra, but was still backwards and forwards to the doctor.

"Kevin had been brilliant, but needed to get back to work, so I moved 200 miles back to be with my parents in West Lothian."