A TEENAGER from Ellesmere Port was diagnosed with a grade four cancerous brain tumour after he suffered feelings of sickness and double vision.
Tom, 14, originally from Bromborough, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme in November 2020 when he was 13 years old.
Tom’s mum, Karen, who originally thought her son felt sick at the idea of going back to school after lockdown, spoke of the shock she felt after discovering Toms’ symptoms were more serious than they originally thought.
She told the Globe: “It was in September 2020 when Tom was feeling sick on and off.
“I thought it was due to going back to school after lockdown and I contacted the doctors a few times.”
Tom was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour when he was 13
During the school holidays in October, Tom began complaining of double vision but after a doctor’s appointment confirming he was healthy, he returned home.
However, in November Tom started suffering from a migraine.
Karen said: “I thought it was due to him being on the computer a lot more from home learning, but I contacted the opticians anyway.
“They fitted us in the same day and once I explained everything that had been going on that’s when they noticed swelling behind his eyes.”
Tom was sent straight to Countess of Chester hospital where he was kept overnight before having an MRI scan the next morning.
Karen said: “The next morning after his scan we were told he had a brain tumour.
“Tom was physically shocked, and I was in pieces.”
Tom complained about having double vision and feeling sick before his diagnosis
After receiving the devastating news, Tom was given steroids and sent to Alderhey Children’s Hospital for more eye tests and scans.
Karen said: “We were told he would have to have an operation, but they wouldn’t be able to remove all of it.”
After Tom’s operation, he was kept in hospital for a week before being told the devastating news that his tumour was cancer.
Tom started radiotherapy and chemotherapy on December 16, 2020, but due to the pressure on his optical nerve, he lost his peripheral eyesight.
Now after a year of chemotherapy doctors have told Tom that it is no longer working.
Karen said: “They’ve said there’s nothing more they can do.
“Tom has always been a positive person and the way he has handled this devastating news at such a young age is amazing. He is my hero.
“We as a family are determined to fight this as hard as we can and be in the 2% that survive this horrible aggressive cancer.”
Tom’s family have set up a fundraising page to give Tom the chance of getting alternative treatment.
Karen said: “Unfortunately we are racing against the clock to find help and there are no trials on the NHS in the UK, so we are looking to go abroad to Germany or America which are not cheap.
“We need help in raising money so we can give him the best fighting chance at life.”
So far, £3,860 has been raised out of the £100,000 target.
If you would like to visit Tom’s GoFundMe page click here or visit Tom’s fundraising Facebook page here.
