Elsie’s Journey
This little cutie is Super Elsie – She loves Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi & Minions.
In March 2014, aged 2 & 1/2 Elsie was diagnosed with a grade 4 medulloblastoma brain tumour. She had only had noticable symptoms for about five weeks prior to diagnosis. She had become a little unsteady on her feet & just seemed a bit wobbly. She then started to vomit every few days and complained that her head was hurting.
After numerous visits to the doctors & being told it was a virus we eventually ended up at the hospital. We were given an MRI upon which the tumour was found & we were ambulanced to the JR in Oxford, that was the beginning of the family’s nightmare…..
Elsie underwent emergency surgery where her tumour was partially removed & spent five weeks recovering. This left her unable to walk unaided & with an unsafe swallow.
She then went straight into her first cycle of intensive chemo and finally made it home after six weeks. Elsie had four more intensive cycles before further surgery in September to try & remove what remained.
Once recovered from this surgery she had to have high dose chemo for which they spent 26 nights in isolation. They are currently waiting to have her next MRI scan and praying Elsie escapes having further treatment.
Elsie has been such an inspiration through treatment & has always remained her cheeky, determined self. The toughest thing for her was not seeing her big sister Lily when she was isolated. They are now enjoying being at home together, whilst they wait for her next scan.
Elsie’s Diagnosis
Brain and spinal cord tumours are the most common form solid tumours found in children with around 400 being diagnosed each year in the UK. Find out more about Brain & Spinal Tumours
The Supershoes
Thank you so much for Elsies amazing shoes. She absolutely loves them and wore them out the very next day. We are all hoping they will encourage her to get back on her feet & walking again soon.
