Tumour Formed Behind My Ear Leaving Me Deaf

Danielle, a 31-year-old single mother from Tameside, Greater Manchester, met Ryan Fletcher on the dating website Plenty Of Fish in June 2016. Initially, their relationship seemed promising. They quickly connected and began dating regularly. By Christmas Day of that year, they had become an official couple, although they were not living together.

The first signs of trouble appeared in April 2017, during their first holiday together in Egypt. After a drunken argument, Danielle locked herself in the hotel bathroom, but couldn’t remember much the next day. Though she sensed something was wrong, she brushed it off.

By July, while working at a café, Danielle went out with her colleagues one evening. Ryan, who joined them, accused her of flirting with her married boss, causing an embarrassing scene. On their way home, Ryan’s behavior turned violent. He dragged her by her hair and viciously beat her. Blood poured from her head as he punched and kicked her.

This severe assault triggered a medical condition Danielle had since birth called neurofibromatosis. The beating caused a blood vessel behind her right ear to burst, resulting in a large tumor that impaired her hearing. Even after two years, she remains partially deaf.

Despite needing hospital treatment, Danielle didn’t initially leave Ryan. He apologized and promised it was a one-time incident. However, his controlling behavior persisted. He criticized her appearance, accused her of infidelity, and monitored her phone constantly. Ryan’s behavior became increasingly abusive, with frequent physical assaults and verbal abuse.

In April 2018, after another violent episode where he hit her in the face, Danielle finally decided to leave. She reported him to the police and moved in with her mother. Even then, Ryan continued to call her, trying to manipulate her into dropping the charges. Danielle cleverly recorded one of these calls, capturing his threats and admissions of abuse.

The recording became crucial evidence in court. In February 2019, Ryan was found guilty of two counts of assault and one of threatening criminal damage. He was sentenced to three years and six months in prison.

Although Danielle still struggles with the physical and emotional aftermath of the abuse, she has found strength in her actions that led to Ryan’s imprisonment. She hopes to join the police force to help other victims of domestic violence, drawing from her own experiences to support and empower them.