'my Baby's Brain Tumour Symptoms Were Dismissed As Colic'

A mum whose babe girl was diagnosed pinch a encephalon tumour, aft her symptoms were dismissed arsenic colic and reflux for much than 2 months, is calling for amended consciousness of nan condition.

Newborn Molly appeared unsettled, and aged 3 weeks had 3 seizures, said mum Corinne Wardle, a organization caregiver successful Flintshire and Wrexham.

At 8 weeks, Molly's caput was bigger than normal, she was unsettled and vomiting frequently, and her eyes would only look correct - but nan symptoms were dismissed by a paediatrician.

But aft noticing that Molly's fontanelle - nan soft spot connected nan apical of her caput - was bulging erstwhile she was 12 weeks, a expert successful A&E diagnosed a ample encephalon tumour.

"Her eyes were going successful other corners and her caput abruptly sewage massive," Corinne recalled, speaking much than 2 years connected from nan first surgery.

Back astatine nan infirmary emergency department, nan mum and babe were astir to beryllium sent location by unit aft being told location was an eight-hour wait. But erstwhile different 10-day-old babe came successful pinch a seizure, a expert was called - he subsequently examined Molly and rushed her consecutive through.

He measured her caput and it was "off nan chart", said Corinne, truthful nan expert sent her successful for a CT scan.

"He wouldn't time off her side. He was fantastic," she said.

The results came done instantly, and Corinne was told Molly had a ample wide connected her brain.

She was sent consecutive to Alder Hey Children's Hospital, successful Liverpool, wherever she underwent 9 hours of room nan pursuing greeting to region nan tumour

Baby Molly past had a twelvemonth of chemotherapy, and took 5 different types of chemotherapy narcotics arsenic portion of a objective trial.

One of nan trialled narcotics caused her to extremity breathing, and she had beryllium put connected a ventilator.

Molly has suffered proceeding nonaccomplishment and world developmental hold - erstwhile a kid takes longer than expected to scope cardinal developmental milestones specified arsenic speaking and stepping - arsenic a consequence of nan treatment.

She was successful remission for 2 years, but successful January this year, 2 further tumours were found, and she had much surgery.

The scheme was to travel up pinch radiotherapy, but because nan tumour was half nan size of Molly's encephalon this risks important cognitive impairment, Corinne said.

She told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast: "She would beryllium abnormal for life, ever needing support.

"She won't beryllium capable to do things for illustration transverse nan roadworthy by herself aliases usage money."

Because of this, nan family are holding disconnected connected nan radiotherapy, and Molly is having three-monthly MRI scans nether wide anaesthetic arsenic they watch and wait.

Hugh Adams, from Brain Tumour Research, said Molly's lawsuit was "uniquely challenging", adding faster test was "something we person to strive for".

He described nan interventions and room basal for Molly's endurance arsenic "really tough", peculiarly for specified young children, pointing retired they besides transportation further risks.

"Radiotherapy connected a processing encephalon is simply a really reliable option," he said - and he highlighted really chemotherapy impacts nan full assemblage earlier it reaches nan brain.

He called for much money to beryllium put into investigation connected encephalon tumours, to hasten investigation into replacement treatments for nan condition.

"We request to beryllium looking astatine immoderate of nan newer things - possibly vaccines, possibly immunotherapy: things that are astatine nan cutting separator of crab treatment... truthful that group aren't impaired by their curen arsenic overmuch arsenic they are by nan existent tumour itself," he said.

He told BBC Radio Wales: "If we put money into research, we get closure to caller cures and options - if we don't, we won't.

"Historically we've put 1% of nan nationalist crab investigation spending into encephalon tumours. That isn't enough."