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A mother experienced immense distress after learning her young daughter had a brain tumour, just half a day following an eye examination. Katie, aged 41, revealed that her daughter Phoebe, who is now five years old, began suffering from severe headaches and vomiting in February. However, a GP initially attributed her symptoms to migraines.
In May, after an eye test, Katie received an urgent call from the optician advising her to take Phoebe immediately to the emergency department at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. Within just a few hours of arriving at the hospital, Phoebe was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Reflecting on the moment, Katie from St Neots in Cambridgeshire shared, “I fell apart and just sobbed and sobbed.” Fortunately, the tumour was benign, and Phoebe is currently being monitored and treated by a team of specialists.
Katie described feeling uncertain and overwhelmed during the ordeal, confessing that she worried about how to break the news to Phoebe’s father and siblings. She added, “I kept asking if Phoebe would survive but the doctors said they were unable to answer that at that time, which is the worst thing in the world as a parent.” Despite Phoebe appearing active and playful, Katie recognized in hindsight that her daughter was actually very unwell.
Talking about Phoebe’s strength, Katie said, “She is incredible.” She acknowledged the crucial role the opticians played in identifying the problem early, noting, “If the opticians hadn’t spotted us or told us straight away, who knows what would happen.” Katie wants to raise public awareness about the importance of eye tests for children. Phoebe now wears very strong glasses but is comfortable with them, which Katie accepts as a small price to pay. Following the experience, Katie began working with the charity Brain Tumour Research and is urging increased government funding for scientific research. She emphasized, “Funding for research into brain tumours is so important because this really could happen to anyone,” adding, “You never think something like this will happen to you, but it does.” In response, the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed the establishment of a national Brain Tumour Research Consortium, backed by a £13.7 million investment aimed at advancing new treatment options
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