When Joey was just four years old he became unwell, experiencing acid reflux after suffering retching and headaches, lethargy and difficulty walking. After being seen by specialists, Joey’s parents Darren and Kathryn faced the terrible news that their little boy had a brain tumour.
After Joey had to endure a 10-hour operation tests revealed that the tumour was cancerous. Joey then went through radiotherapy, chemotherapy and a second operation. Thankfully, after all the treatment, Joey’s long-term prognosis was very good.
Research to find a way to get more detailed information from MRI scans for children with brain tumours was funded by Action Medical Research and The Brain Tumour Charity. Project leader Professor Andrew Peet (also the physician who treated Joey) is developing a way to tailor treatment more closely to the needs of each individual child. He believes this could save the lives of children with the most aggressive tumours, and spare those with less severe illness from unnecessary treatments.
Full family story and link to Action research can be found on the Action website
This post was supplied by our featured charity, Action Medical Research. Action Medical Research is a leading UK-wide charity saving and changing children’s lives through medical research. For 70 years they have helped pioneer ways to prevent disease and develop treatments benefiting millions of people. Action’s research has helped to beat polio in the UK, develop ultrasound in pregnancy, fight meningitis and prevent stillbirths. But they urgently need to develop more new treatments and cures for sick babies and children.