This mum’s ‘gut instinct’ about son’s brain tumour saved his life

When three-year-old Daniel Bell started to bump into things and became increasingly tired, his mum Rosie took him to the doctor.

His symptoms were dismissed as hay fever, and Rosie was given some antihistamines to treat her son. However, when Daniel's health continued to deteriorate and he became sicker, the then seven months pregnant mum decided to take him back to the GP. She was then referred to a paediatrician. The next morning, the three-year-old could hardly move so his parents took him to A&E. Doctors confirmed that Daniel had a "tumour the size of a fist" that was causing his brain to fill up with fluid. Speaking to The Mirror, Rosie said that finding the tumour was like one of her worst fears come true.

"Looking back, he was always falling over or bumping into things. I joked that he’d inherited my clumsiness. Again, I didn’t dream there was anything sinister."

Rosie and her husband Colin were told that their son's tumour was non-cancerous and that it could easily be removed. After nine hours of surgery, Rosie said that she could hear Daniel shouting and she knew that her son was back to normal. The mum of three said that if it hadn't been for a Facebook post shared by a friend detailing the symptoms of brain tumours, she would not have thought to be so concerned about Daniel. The post had been a HeadSmart card originally published by The Brain Tumour Charity to make people more aware of what signs to look out for. The symptoms of a brain tumour can include vomiting, dizziness, blurred vision, seizures, tiredness, and recurring headaches. Rosie said that she is "so grateful" for the charity's Facebook post.

"That tiny card saved my little boy’s life. We feel so blessed he’s healthy and happy.”

Images via The Brain Tumour Charity.