‘FOREVER GRATEFUL’
The family of Noah, 2, diagnosed with a brain tumour during lockdown, are raising money for the service who helped them
MOORLANDS mum Nicci Rushton has told how her two-year-old son was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour during the coronavirus lockdown.
Medics delivered the bombshell news following an MRI scan after Noah had been diagnosed with epilepsy and started having regular seizures.
But after an anxious two-and-ahalf week wait the family was told the tumour was not cancerous.
Now parents – Nicci and her partner Thomas Houghting – are raising cash for Brainstrust to thank the charity for its support through their ordeal.
Nicci says only mum and son were allowed to attend August’s MRI scan due to coronavirus rules.
The mum-of-one, from Leekbrook, said: “We were in the MRI scan for three hours and halfway through four or five doctors came in and they told me they needed to do a colour contrast on him just to look at things in more detail.
“It was at that point where I knew something was seriously wrong. You just know as a mum and I could see all the doctors looking at the screens.
“I waited four hours for the doctor to tell me what the results were. He came straight out with it that they had found a tumour and that’s all I really heard from that conversion. I can’t remember the rest of it.”
She added: “I felt really overwhelmed and just wanted my partner there. I couldn’t take any of the information in, it felt surreal and like it wasn’t happening to us. I was very emotional and scared about what the tumour was and why it was happening to us. I had a million questions in my mind.
“I sort of broke down as they were telling me. The doctor left me with Noah because he started waking up from his sedation and I didn’t want him to see his mummy upset.
“I was allowed to contact my partner to come to the hospital so he travelled to us. The doctors showed us the images from the MRI scan.”
Noah was rushed to St Mary’s Hospital, in Manchester, where he had more blood tests and scans. He also had a three-hour biopsy.
Nicci added: “Everyday we sat there waiting for a phone call. From the biopsy we waited two-and-a-half weeks to be told it wasn’t cancer.
“He has had wires attached to his head for seven days and for a twoyear-old it was challenging. He did so well with it and took it in his stride.
“They want to find out more information about his epilepsy and tumour. They are sure that the epilepsy was caused by the tumour so they are collecting data.
“We are under a dietician because he has been on the medication for epilepsy and had a few issues with his diet.
“He is just getting back to nursery and has been a bit upset in the mornings. He has no idea what health conditions he has going on.”
The family will be forever grateful for the support of the Brainstrust service. Nicci, Noah and Thomas – as well as Nicci’s dad Paul – have raised more than £2,000 for the charity with a run, row and ride challenge.
Brainstrust offers counselling services for families.
Nicci added: “I can’t put into words how important they are. Just the feeling of knowing you have somebody there who understands what you are going through is amazing.
“Brainstrust helped us when we first came out of hospital and we just want to help other people going through what we are going through as well.
“When you go through this you can sometimes feel so alone but to know we are not alone and people we don’t know are reaching out to us was a massive comfort.”