Christmas will be special for girl who had a brain tumour

A young girl whose self-confidence was crippled by the head brace she had to wear last Christmas after major brain surgery is looking forward to a special festive season with family and friends.

Daisy Smith, 11 from Portsmouth, had to wear a huge metal frame, known as a halo brace, after major surgery in September 2016 to remove a huge non-cancerous brain tumour that had spread into her neck and spine.

She wore the device designed to keep neck and spine bones immobile as they healed for three months and felt so self conscious about people staring at her that she refused to go out and join in her family’s traditional festive activities.

Her father, Andy Smith, even dyed his beard green and attached baubles in a bid to detract attention from his daughter, but when she did agree to go to the pantomime, she hid behind a curtain so no one could see her.

Daisy’s brain tumour was discovered only after months of misdiagnosed symptoms which began with a persistent cough but thankfully, she is now making a good recovery and is looking forward to making the most of Christmas. 

Daisy Smith, 11, (pictured) from Portsmouth had an 11-hour operation to remove a huge brain tumour

Left to right: Honey, eight, Reggie, eight months, Sue, Daisy, 11 and Andy smiling during a Christmas outing this year

Left to right: Honey, eight, Reggie, eight months, Sue, Daisy, 11 and Andy smiling during a Christmas outing this year

As well as Christmas festivities, Daisy also missed out on Halloween and Bonfire Night last year. 

Her mum, Sue Smith said: ‘She didn’t want to go anywhere because people stared at her so much. It was awful. 

‘We go to the pantomime at Christmas every year but Daisy was too worried about sitting in the audience with the brace on. 

‘In the end my sister organised a box for the family, but even then Daisy sat in the corner and held the curtain around her so people couldn’t see her.’ 

Daisy (pictured left) has amazed doctors and charity workers with her recovery. She is pictured smiling with her sister Honey, eight, and Reggie, eight months 

Daisy (pictured left) has amazed doctors and charity workers with her recovery. She is pictured smiling with her sister Honey, eight, and Reggie, eight months 

Now Sue and Andy have pledged to make this Christmas the best ever for Daisy and her siblings Honey, eight, and brothers Billy, 22, and Reggie, eight months.

‘We’ll be going out, meeting friends and doing a lot more this year,’ Sue said. 

The first symptom of Daisy’s brain tumour was a persistent cough, which doctors initially diagnosed as asthma.

They prescribed an inhaler, even though Sue – who is herself asthmatic and whose younger daughter Honey also lives with the condition – was adamant that the cough was not an asthmatic one. 

She spent last year hiding away because people stared at the head brace she had to wear after the surgery. Her dad Andy even dyed his beard green detract some of the unwanted attention 

She spent last year hiding away because people stared at the head brace she had to wear after the surgery. Her dad Andy even dyed his beard green detract some of the unwanted attention 

Her parents were told by doctors to enjoy the week before her operation as she would probably 'never be the same girl again' 

Her parents were told by doctors to enjoy the week before her operation as she would probably ‘never be the same girl again’ 

After the inhaler seemed to make her condition worse, Daisy was sent for a chest X-ray which revealed a curvature of her spine, followed by a full-body X-ray that showed no further abnormalities.

But when she began to show signs of weakness in her right arm, Daisy was finally referred for an MRI scan.

It revealed a brain tumour so large that it had spread down her neck and into her spine, requiring surgery as soon as possible.

Her mum recalled the terrifying time, she said: ‘It started in her brain stem and ended between her shoulder blades.

‘It was the tumour that had been causing the cough as it was pressing on her windpipe.

‘The surgeon said it was a massive risk to operate but they had no choice. If they didn’t, she would end up paralysed from the neck down.’ 

Pilocytic astrocytoma 

Pilocytic astrocytoma typically occur in children and young adults before the age of 20 and they are the most common primary brain tumour in childhood, affecting both sexes.

Symptoms include headaches, nausea, vomiting and visual complaints, depending on the location of the tumour.

Medics don’t know the cause, but are looking at genetic factors as a possibility.

There’s a good prognosis with a 95 per cent survival rate at five and ten years.

‘We were told to enjoy the week with Daisy and to make special memories for the family as she would probably never be the same girl again after the surgery,’ Sue said. ‘It was absolutely awful.’

‘We took her to Harry Potter World and to see Wicked at the theatre in London. She went horse-riding, which she loves, but all we could think was: “She’s never going to be able to do this again.”

Daisy had an 11-hour operation on September 27, followed by an eight-hour operation three days later.

Surgeons managed to remove around 90 per cent of the tumour, which was low-grade and non-cancerous type known as a pilocytic astrocytoma. However, her ordeal was far from over.

Within weeks, as Daisy was being cared for in hospital after her operation, her medical team became concerned about the position of her head. A CT scan showed that her neck was at risk of dislocation.

‘She had to spend a day and a half in traction, with weights attached to her head to pull her neck back into position. She couldn’t move at all. It was horrible,’ Sue said.

After the traction, surgeons performed another operation to fit the halo brace, which remained in place for three months until January.

But now, a year on, Daisy has continuously amazed her doctors and her family with her recovery.

She returned to school in February, now attending four days a week, and has been able to pick up her beloved hobby of drawing despite continuing numbness in her hands.

In October, Daisy joined dozens of family members and friends on a ten-kilometre walk in aid of The Brain Tumour Charity which raised over £7,000.

Sarah Lindsell, chief executive of The Brain Tumour Charity, said: ‘Daisy’s courage and determination since her diagnosis is an inspiration to all of us at The Brain Tumour Charity.

‘We are so grateful to her and her family for their incredible fundraising achievements and for sharing their own experience to raise awareness of brain tumours.

Her proud mum said: ‘She was determined to finish the walk and she was so thrilled when she managed it. Now we’re hoping to do it every year.’  



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