My boy was left fighting for his life after ‘sickness bug’ turned out to be much more sinister
A MUM has described how her little boy went from having what she thought was a “sickness bug” to fighting for his life within hours.
Robbie Frew, now five, appeared to have fallen unwell after spending the day sledging in the snow in January.
His mum Claire Frew, of Lanarkshire, Scotland, told local paper the : “He had been sick the night before and continued being sick through the night into the morning.
“Then he started to be unresponsive, and when he was talking, it wasn’t making sense so we knew there was something wrong as he was acting really out of character.
“He eventually slipped into a coma by the time he got to the hospital.
“We thought he had maybe just had a sickness bug the night before at the dinner table.
Robbie - who has a twin sister, Sophie, and two-year-old baby sister Hallie - also had a stiff neck and legs.
But Claire added: “There were no other signs he was unwell, he was actually sledging the day before. He had no symptoms whatsoever.”
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The family never expected that the same day they went to hospital, Robbie would be rushed into emergency brain surgery.
“It was horrific, we didn’t know what was happening or why he needed brain surgery. Me and his dad were terrified, it was like the end of our world,” Claire said.
Rbobbie was diagnosed with an ependymoma, a tumour that forms in the brain or spinal cord. Robbie’s was grade three, meaning it was cancerous.
Some 12,100 brain tumours are diagnosed in the UK each year, of which no more than two per cent are ependymoma, stats show.
More than 70 per cent of people - mostly children - with ependymoma that start in the brain survive for five years or more, according to Cancer Research UK.
He’s only recently started eating again because he lost the ability to swallow
Claire
The symptoms include pain in the neck or back, numbness in the arms, problems with bladder control and headaches.
Claire said: “The stage three ependymoma is the most aggressive and requires further treatment so Robbie had to go for chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which all took about six months.
“When Robbie came out of surgery, he had to learn how to walk again, and how to swallow.
“He’s only recently started eating again because he lost the ability to swallow. When he was being rehabilitated, it took him a long time to be able to manage his saliva.”
What are the signs to look for?
The symptoms of brain tumours can come on gradually or suddenly depending on how fast-growing they are.
A growing tumour may cause:
- Headaches
- Seizures
- Feeling or being sick
- Drowsiness
- Problems with eyes, like blurred vision
- Personality changes
There are various other symptoms depeding on the part of the brain affected.
These include difficulty walking, short term memory loss, hearing voices, difficulty speaking, weight gain and high blood pressure.
Robbie didn’t walk for around two months after his surgery because it had affected his balance and coordination.
He was still using a zimmer frame eight week later, but washaving therapy to help get him on his feet.
“But today he’s away back to school walking and running like any normal five-year-old kid,” Claire said.
After enduring what no child should have to, Robbie was able to “ring the bell” to mark the end of his treatment this August.
He is now able to go on his first day of school, at Machanhill Primary.
“We have no idea how he’s managed it all. It’s been absolutely crazy”, said Claire.
“Robbie is thriving right now, you would never know looking at him that he’s been through what he’s been through, he’s no different to his twin sister.
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“We did always remain positive, and when it’s your kids you can’t think any other way.”
The family have raised £3,530 for the charity Les Hoey DreamMaker Foundation, which set up a swing park for Robbie in his garden.
