Older brotherAmelie Williams was diagnosed with a stage 4 brain tumor after an ophthalmologist discovered her eyes were shaking abnormally.
In early 2023, 43-year-old Lydia noticed that her daughter was starting to have trouble keeping her balance. During a routine examination in March, the ophthalmologist discovered that the 11-year-old girl’s eyes were “shaking” and “twitching”.
After Lydia took her child to the general practitioner, she was transferred to the hospital for emergency tests. Results showed that the girl had stage 4 medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer.
The 10-hour surgery to remove the tumor was successful, but caused complications that left Amelie temporarily unable to walk, talk or even move. After a year in a wheelchair, chemotherapy and radiation, she is now in remission.
Recalling Amelie’s heartbreaking ordeal, Lydia shared: “The ophthalmologist told me: ‘Look at your baby’s eyes, there’s something unusual’. I looked in and saw her eyes shaking and twitching.” . Neither I nor the doctor knew what was wrong with my child. I was advised to refer my child to a general practitioner.”
After being transferred to the Royal United Hospital in Bath, Amelie had a series of blood tests and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). At that time, doctors did not know how long she would live.
Medulloblastoma is a rapidly growing malignant tumor that accounts for up to 20% of brain tumors in children. About 70% of cases occur in children under 10 years old. Common signs include behavioral changes, difficulty with limb coordination, headaches, nausea and vomiting. According to MacMillan Cancer Support, unusual eye movements and feeling extremely tired are important signs of cancer.
Amelie Williams had to have surgery because she had a stage 4 tumor in her brain. Image: PA Real Life
According to the Brain Tumor Charity, about 80% of children diagnosed with spinal cord myeloma are five or more years old. Treatment usually includes surgery to remove the tumor, followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
However, doctors soon discovered the surgery had caused posterior fossa syndrome (PFS), a complication of medulloblastoma surgery that can lead to problems with communication, motor skills and mood.
Ms. Lydia said: “She couldn’t talk, couldn’t move, couldn’t open her eyes for the first 24 hours. She could only breathe on her own and had to learn all the skills from scratch.” Amelie also did not speak for three weeks, communicating mainly using sign language.
Amelie also shared that she couldn’t see anyone, couldn’t respond to the people around her even though she felt them nearby. “I feel like my body is a shell, I try to call my family but my mouth can’t move,” the girl shared.
After six weeks of post-operative rest, Amelie had to undergo another six weeks of radiation therapy, which caused nausea and hair loss, followed by nine months of continuous chemotherapy. Although treatment was difficult, Amelie said her family, friends and online support groups helped her get through.
“It was painful for her, painful for me every day. We talked about a future of walking again, continuing to lie on the grass, in the sun, smelling the grass.” fresh,” Ms. Lydia added.
Gradually, with speech therapy and physical therapy sessions, Amelie began to regain her ability to move and talk. Her younger brother Arlo, 10 years old, also helps take care of her and helps her with some homework.
Since finishing treatment in March this year, Amelie has continued her rehabilitation sessions and started high school. The girl said art has supported her mentally and physically a lot.
“I think cancer scares people, both children and adults, and it carries a lot of negative connotations. But now, as a family that has gone through something like that, I also feel that Cancer is not the end,” Ms. Williams added.