My baby’s eye started moving strangely
A MOTHER has revealed how her little girl’s eye started moving strangely before a doctor said she had weeks left to live.
Little Jessica Gibson’s right eye began to swirl rapidly from side to side.
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Her parents were worried about this, so she rushed to the GP, who sent them to the hospital for examinations.
It took about four months to get an MRI scan before the little girl lost weight and was admitted to the hospital on July 29th.
An emergency scan on Aug. 10 found a large mass in Jessica’s brain with smaller tumors in her spine.
Mother Gillian Allum, 36, and father Andrew Gibson, 49, were told she had pilocytic astrocytoma, a tumor of the brain and spinal cord.
After the scans at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow, little Jessica had to undergo three major surgeries in one week and also have chemotherapy.
The East Kilbride family is now urging the health service to do more for children who show symptoms like Jessica’s.
Father Andrew, who works as an operations manager, said the family was initially informed that there would be a four-month waiting period for a scan.
He told the Daily Record that his little girl would ‘be dead now’ if it had waited that long.
Now he wants the NHS to prioritize children who show signs of brain tumors such as headaches, seizures and seizures.
He said: “The MRI scans really need to take place within days instead of months.”
Mum Gillian, a business development manager, added: “We need to do more for children who show symptoms like Jessica’s and get their treatment tracked quickly.
“If the worst case scenario happens to our daughter, I will make sure no other family goes through this.”
What is pilocytic astrocytoma?
Astrocytomas are the most common type of primary brain tumor within the group of brain tumors called gliomas.
Primary means that they originate from the brain instead of spreading elsewhere.
About a third of all brain tumors diagnosed in the UK are astrocytomas.
They grow from a type of cell in the brain called an astrocyte, which is the most abundant cell in the brain.
They support and protect the neurons and help send messages between them.
Astrocytes are therefore essential for the processing of information in the brain.
What causes an astrocytoma?
There is nothing that could have been done or avoided that would have prevented anyone from developing a brain tumor.
As with most brain tumors, the cause is unknown. Research into possible causes focuses on our genes.
Our genes control the way our cells grow and divide. Mutations (changes) in our genes can cause this process to go wrong, resulting in the cells growing uncontrollably and forming a tumor.
These changes are often the result of an error when the cell copies its DNA before sharing.
Types of astrocytoma
Brain tumors are rated by the World Health Organization (WHO) from 1-4, depending on how they behave, ie how fast they grow and how likely they are to spread in the brain.
Tumors classified 1 and 2 are slow-growing and are sometimes called benign or low-grade.
This term is used less frequently today as it is not thought to be useful in describing the tumor as these low grade tumors are still severe.
Tumors graded 3 and 4 are fast-growing, more aggressive tumors, sometimes called malignant or cancerous, meaning they are more likely to grow faster and sometimes spread to other parts of the brain or spinal cord.
Astrocytomas can be of any degree, from 1-4.
Source: The Brain Tumor Charity
On November 2, Jessica started on a medication course from home, but soon after, she got a temperature rise and was admitted to the hospital.
On November 10, it was decided that she was too weak for further surgery, and two days later she was sent home in an ambulance on palliative care.
Now eight-month-old Jessica has undergone five major surgeries, three types of chemotherapy and spent three months in the hospital.
The family is now exploring other ways they can help Jessica get better – including natural medicine.
They have set up a JustGiving site aiming to raise £ 50,000 to pay for possible private proceedings and to support the family.
So far, they have raised close to £ 11,000.
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