UK Girl, 11, Misdiagnosed 30 Times Before Shocking Brain Tumour Diagnosis

An 11-year-old girl suffering from headaches was assessed 30 times by doctors over three years before she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. According to the Independent, Tia Gordon, from Northampton, first became sick during the Covid lockdown in March 2020. She was sick every few months, then monthly, then more frequently. From then on, Tia was sick most mornings and vomited every day between November 2023 to January 2024.

Doctors failed to spot her tumour on numerous occasions and instead, told her parents she was suffering from migraines and stomach bugs. After she developed new symptoms, including a stiff neck, doctors claimed it was due to the way she was sleeping and referred her to a physiotherapist.

However, when her condition started to affect her balance and ability to walk, she was admitted to the hospital. She was given an emergency scan which showed she had a 3.5cm brain tumour, which is a pilocytic astrocytoma – the most common type of childhood brain tumour. The girl was operated on over 10 hours and the benign tumour was removed.

Her mother, Imogen Darby, a pharmacy dispenser, said Tia also had her glasses prescription changed four times before the tumour was spotted.

Ms Darby said, ''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. After probably a year, she got diagnosed with migraines and they gave her paracetamol for that. She was also given another medication for that and her final diagnosis in January (this year) from paediatrics was migraine with sickness.''

''Over more than three years, I took Tia to doctors, she was refused MRIs, she was refused to be seen by emergency paediatrics, I called 111, I went to A&E, she had her glasses changed four times, she was given medication and she had a consultant, but it took for her to be unable to walk for her to get the care she needed,'' she added. 

After the surgery, the little girl is keen to get back to her daily activities like reading and playing dodgeball. However, she will have an MRI scan every three months for the next five years and is undergoing physiotherapy, as well as having regular meetings with neurologists.

According to the Cancer Research UK, around 175 children are diagnosed with astrocytoma each year in the UK.

Cameron Miller, director of external affairs and strategy at the Brain Tumour Charity, said, ''We wish Tia all the best with her continuing treatment and thank Imogen for sharing her story. Sadly, it's one that we often hear. For many brain tumour patients, it simply takes too long to be diagnosed – and this is one of the reasons why we're calling for a National Brain Tumour Strategy.''