Doctors examined an 11-year-old girl who was wrongly diagnosed with illnesses and migraines about 30 times before telling her she had a brain tumor.
Tia Gordon ended up being admitted to hospital as an emergency despite previous visits to GPs, A&E and calls to NHS 111.
Her mother, Imogen Darby, a pharmacy dispenser, said Tia also had her glasses prescription changed four times before the tumor was detected.
Mrs Darby had sought help over a three-year period for Tia’s migraines and vomiting, before she was told the wait for an MRI would be at least eight months.
It was only when Tia’s condition began to affect her balance and ability to walk that she had an emergency scan. She showed that she had a 3.5 cm brain tumor.
Tia Gordon, 11, ended up being admitted to hospital as an emergency despite previous visits to GPs, A&E and calls to NHS 111.
Mrs Darby, from Northampton, said: “I was told Tia had a stomach virus and migraines. The first thing they told me, since it was summer, was that she just needed to drink more water.
‘Probably after a year, he was diagnosed with migraines and given paracetamol for that.
‘They also gave him another medication for that and his final diagnosis in January this year from pediatrics was migraine with illness.
“For more than three years, I took Tia to the doctors, she was denied MRIs, she refused to be seen by emergency pediatricians, I called 111, I went to the ER, they changed her glasses four times, they gave her medications and she had a specialist, but it was necessary for him to be unable to walk to receive the care he needed.’
Ms Darby first noticed Tia’s symptoms during the Covid lockdown in March 2020, when Tia started getting sick.
It was only when Tia’s condition began to affect her balance and ability to walk that she had an emergency scan.
She had migraines and vomiting for three years before she was told the wait for an MRI would be at least eight months.
I was sick every few months, then monthly, then more frequently.
In the few months before the diagnosis, Darby said she took Tia to a GP about 10 times and called NHS 111 about three times.
“I took her to the ER and they told me she had a stomach virus and told me to leave her like that,” he said.
However, Tia developed new symptoms, including a stiff neck, which doctors claimed was due to the way she slept and referred her to a physiotherapist.
However, deep down, Mrs. Darby felt that something was wrong with the way Tia was holding her neck. This was also noticed by the wider family.
A scan showed he had a 3.5cm brain tumour. It was a pilocytic astrocytoma, the most common type of childhood brain tumor.
Her mother, pharmacy dispenser Imogen Darby (pictured left), said Tia also had her glasses prescription changed four times before the tumor was detected.
“The consultant said she would do an MRI for your peace of mind, but the waiting list would last months.”
From then on, Tia was sick most mornings and vomited every day between November 2023 and January 2024.
In the days before Tia was admitted to the hospital, she also seemed to be staggering, even without realizing that she was pouring milk into the front of the kitchen sink.
The next day, Tia’s school called Mrs. Darby while she was at work to tell her that she was holding her neck strangely and was a little off balance.
She called the pediatric consultant, who told her to take Tia to Northampton General that night.
While there, Tia couldn’t walk in a straight line.
Ms Darby first noticed Tia’s symptoms during the Covid lockdown in March 2020, when Tia started getting sick.
A CT scan revealed Tia’s tumor, which is a pilocytic astrocytoma, the most common type of childhood brain tumor.
An ambulance was called to take her to Queen’s Medical Center in Nottingham.
Tia underwent surgery over a 10-hour period and the benign tumor was removed.
“It was a pretty horrible day,” Mrs. Darby said. “After surgery they managed to get 96 percent out.”
Since having surgery to remove the growth (which Tia calls her ‘astronaut tumor’ because it is an astrocytoma), the young woman becomes very tired and may still be unbalanced.
Since having surgery to remove the lump, which Tía calls her ‘astronaut tumor’ because it is an astrocytoma, the young woman becomes very tired and may still be unbalanced.
He will undergo an MRI every three months for the next five years and is receiving physical therapy, as well as having regular meetings with neurologists.
He will have an MRI every three months for the next five years and will undergo physical therapy, in addition to having regular meetings with neurologists.
Meanwhile, Tia is eager to get back to her activities.
“We all call her Dr. Doolittle; she loves everything to do with animals,” Mrs. Darby said.
“She likes dodgeball and she loves to read, she loves to read.”
Cameron Miller, director of strategy and external affairs at Brain Tumor Charity, said: “We wish Tia all the best in her ongoing treatment and thank Imogen for sharing her story.
‘Unfortunately, it is something we hear often.
“For many brain tumor patients, diagnosis takes too long, and this is one of the reasons we are calling for a National Brain Tumor Strategy.”
