Scottish girl diagnosed with terminal cancer after walking into doors and on her tiptoes
Laia Jenkins had been struggling with her balance, walking into doors and walking on tiptoes, but her parents thought her behaviour might be psychological, after she was devastated by the death of her two pet rabbits.
The schoolgirl, who is the baby of the family, was taken to Wishaw General Hospital by her parents Lee, 43, and Lorna, 39, at the end of August.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdMedics thought she probably had an ear infection and recommended taking her to the GP.
Laia celebrated her seventh birthday on September 6, with a party in the garden of the family's home in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, and she was given a 'saucer' swing - which she has never had the chance to use.
But only four days later, when her condition had deteriorated rapidly, she was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, where an MRI scan showed she had a high grade brain tumour.
The tumour is inside Laia's brain, on the brain stem, and with treatment she has between nine months and a year to live.
Lee said: "We are still trying to come to terms with it, trying to understand it, watching our wee lassie getting worse.
"After the radiotherapy she might get better for a while as well. We've been told with treatment it will be about 12 months, without treatment it will be between three to six months.
"We've been through panic, anger and helplessness.
"She kept banging into doors and her balance was off so we took her to A&E. They said it was probably an ear infection.
"She'd started walking on her tiptoes, the way she was walking wasn't normal.
"We went to the GP, I thought it was psychological.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"One rabbit had died, then the other died, so we thought she was missing her rabbits.
"She didn't seem herself.
"We had a party for her in the garden, she got a saucer swing for her birthday but she's not been able to use it.
"It's still sitting there.
"The party feels like a lifetime ago.
"We took her to hospital again and they did some tests, getting her to do a high five with one hand, then the other, then the same with kicks, and it was clear it was down one side.
"Then they told us it was a brain tumour."
Laia was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive brain tumour, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) on September 10, and begins radiotherapy next Wednesday.
The family has begun fundraising to pay for a 'bucket list' of special treats to enjoy their time together, including a trip to Disney World in America, so Laia and her siblings Ellie, 12, Chloe, 21, and Shannon, 23, can have a holiday together.
Laia is desperate to go back to school and ride her bike, and her family are trying to maintain normality.
Lee said: "We need to keep faith and believe in a miracle.
"It is a constant battle trying to keep things normal.
"She's more concerned about other people being upset.
"She's worried about me dying, and what she's going to do.
"She told my dad 'I don't want people to be sad if I die'.
"She's still smiling, her character is still there.
"She's just turned seven, so she's still a baby but she wants to be a big girl.
"It might sound terrible but in a way you can trick them into thinking everything is fine, and you can't do that when they're a bit older."