Harrogate mum sharing daughter's fight with brain tumour to raise awareness
Six-year-old Marnie Downie-Keally was just a toddler when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour
Last updated 18th Mar 2021
A Harrogate mum is sharing the devastating story of the moment she found out her toddler had a brain tumour.
Marnie Downie-Keally was just two-years-old when she was diagnosed with low-grade pilocytic astrocytoma, which is a benign brain tumour.
Most symptoms result from increased pressure on the brain and include headaches, nausea, vomiting, balance problems and vision abnormalities.
Mum, Sally Downie told Greatest Hits "you can't ever imagine" being told your child has a brain tumour.
She said: "There had always been something that wasn’t quite right and we had been back and forth to the GP with various things from swollen gums to strange jerky movements, but it always got put down to a virus.
"Marnie had never been a great sleeper, waking every couple of hours and then towards diagnosis, she was waking saying her head hurt and vomiting. That's when we finally got sent to the Woodlands Ward at Harrogate Hospital and they did a CT scan. That was when we found out she had a brain tumour.
"I don't think many people could ever imagine and say 'Oh my goodness, my child has a brain tumour' so being told that was a huge shock. We were just devastated.
"But at that point we still didn't know what we're dealing with either. So it was just the unknown as well and just trying to find out anything we could.
"It was just utter shock. Loads of things we running through my mind about what could happen and luckily it was something that could be dealt with surgery."
Marnie underwent surgery to decompress cysts which were causing a build-up of pressure within her head, and also to do a biopsy. In late 2018 after an MRI scan, it was decided that a treatment plan of chemotherapy would also be required for 18 months. Marnie, now six, finished her most recent treatment in June last year.
Children and families worldwide are devastated daily by brain tumour diagnoses, with around 50 children diagnosed with brain and other central nervous system tumours each year in Yorkshire alone. March is Brain Tumour Awareness Month, and Yorkshire children’s cancer charity Candlelighters, aims to raise awareness of brain tumours and the need for greater research funding.
Between 2014 and 2018, 234 patients in Yorkshire aged between 0-18 years were diagnosed with Central Nervous Tumours (CNS). On average, 20 females and 27 males between those ages are diagnosed with CNS each year in our region.
Candlelighters, the charity which supported Marnie and her family, provided them with practical support and entertainment on the wards, wellbeing therapies, trips out and a holiday, as well as financial support.
Sally said: “There are far too many things to list that Candlelighters have done for us since Marnie’s diagnosis and unless you are being supported by them I don’t think you can ever fully appreciate what they do. The support provided by Candlelighters has been amazing for our wellbeing. There’s always a friendly face offering a cup of tea and a chat as well as endless entertainment and support for the children.”
Candlelighters has been dedicated to supporting children and families through childhood cancer for over 40 years. The support is there for as long as is needed, which is crucial for children with brain cancers, who often suffer from long-term effects due to the aggressive treatments they receive.