A mum is raising awareness of brain tumours after she was given “the worst news you could ever hear as a parent”.
Baby Molly Wardle-Hampton was just 12 weeks old when a drastic change in the size and shape of her head led to the discovery of an ependymoma brain tumour. Molly’s diagnosis came weeks after her mum, Corinne, began to document a catalogue of strange behaviours, including a fixed eye gaze, a head tilt and vomiting.
Corinne said: “For the first few months of her life, Molly couldn’t be put down and would cry every time – as if she were in pain – looking back this was one of the symptoms which pieced everything together.”
Molly underwent a nine-hour emergency surgery to remove the tumour, which covered almost half of her brain. This month, she is due to finish a treatment as part of a year-long clinical trial.
Happily, MRI scan results on 3rd January came back clear, with no further growth of Molly’s tumour. However, treatment has left her with life-changing injuries and she now needs hearing aids.
Corinne added: “Molly will probably have MRI scans for the rest of her life as there is a possibility of the tumour returning. Despite the risks and uncertainty, she still has a chance and that offers me some respite. She’s recently learned to say ‘Mama’ which makes me smile every time I hear it.”
If you are inspired by Molly’s story and would like to make a donation to Brain Tumour Research, please click here and share your reason as ‘Molly Wardle-Hampton’.
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