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For three agonising years, she suffered from headaches, stomach aches and bouts of vomiting. Despite undergoing over 30 medical assessments and facing misdiagnoses, the true cause of her symptoms was eventually identified: 11-year-old Tia Gordon from Northampton in the UK had a 3,5cm brain tumour.
Earlier this year Tia underwent a 10-hour surgery where 96% of the tumour was removed. Now her focus is on her recovery.
“Tia has done absolutely amazingly I couldn’t even say how proud I am of her and how brave she has been throughout everything,” says her relieved mother, Imogen Darby.
The journey to diagnosis began in March 2020 when Tia's symptoms intensified, prompting her mom to seek medical help.
“I was told Tia had stomach bugs and migraines. The first thing I was told, because it was the summer, was that she just needed to drink more water,” Imogen says.
Tia was given paracetamol to treat her symptoms and when it persisted, her spectacle prescription was changed at least four times.
Her condition, however, worsened over time.
At first, she was sick every couple of months, but it became more frequent. She also developed more symptoms, including a stiff neck. When doctors attributed it to her sleeping position, she saw a physiotherapist for treatment.
Despite these escalating health issues, Imogen, a pharmacy dispenser, says doctors were reluctant to order MRI scans because they didn’t think it was that serious.
A turning point came when Tia began experiencing balance issues and difficulty walking. An MRI scan showed that she had pilocytic astrocytoma – a slow-growing tumour in the central nervous system that primarily affects children.
Following her surgery in February, her mom says she faces challenges such as fatigue and balance issues but is making positive progress.
Though she is happy they finally know what’s wrong with her daughter, Imogen remains frustrated by the delays in diagnosis.
“Tia suffered for such a long time for something that could have been detected at any point. We are extremely lucky in this case so far that we weren’t too late but for some that cannot be further than the truth,” she wrote on Facebook.
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Tia's recovery journey includes regular MRI scans every three months, followed by biannual scans for the next five years, alongside consultations with neurologists and physiotherapy.
“She’s doing a couple of hours at school every week,” her mom says. “We’re trying to get those muscles strengthened and we’re working on brain fatigue but we’ve enjoyed some fun activities to keep us busy too.”
SOURCES: BBC.COM, DAILYMAIL.CO.UK, SKY.COM
