Paul Keogh
The mum who went on the run to prevent her seven-year-old son having cancer treatment has defended her actions.
Sally Roberts, 37, said she had done 'what any other mother would have done' because she was told by a doctor that further treatment on her son Neon would 'fry his brains'.
Sally, from Tiverton, Devon, said: "I lost all confidence in him. It was frightening and very unprofessional. I thought, they have got the whole tumour out so why are they frying his brain?
"I fear they are going to fry my son's brain when there are other ways we could proceed. I feel it is very unnecessary and I'm sure any mother who had researched like I have would feel the same.
"This is my only son. He's my world. I need to be able to tell him I did everything I could for him."
Sally said that she fears radiotherapy will permanently harm Neon's brain, affecting his IQ and damaging his growth and future fertility.
She wants to see if the tumour returns before resorting to radiation.
"I'm doing what any mother would do," she said.
"If I truly believed he had cancer now in his body I would agree to go ahead. But they are going after one cell that might be there. I am convinced it is not there because of the scans and because his spinal fluid is clear.
"I don't want to fry his brain and have his quality of life ruined just on the off chance there is a floating cell that is going to multiply."
Doctors disagree with Sally's decision to use only natural medicine and have started legal proceedings, arguing that Neon's chances of surviving will be 'dramatically reduced' if he does not undergo radiotherapy soon.
Today, a High Court judge will decide whether Neon should have the treatment.
In the meantime, the little boy is now with his father, Ben, after police and social workers took him from his mother after a judge ordered that Neon be identified so that he could be found after he and his mum went missing for four days.
However, Sally said the only reason why she was out of contact was because she was in Sussex taking Neon for treatment in an oxygen chamber and does not carry a mobile phone in case it affects his health.
Neon's brain tumour was reportedly removed in full during surgery on October 25 – immediately after he was diagnosed with the aggressive medulloblastoma form of cancer. Doctors then wanted to carry out the standard procedure of treating him with radiation to remove any further cancer cells and reduce the chances of the disease recurring.
Neon's dad, Ben, who lives with his daughter in Knightsbridge, west London, described his estranged wife as a 'concerned mother', but added: "I want to make sure [Neon] has everything available to him. I understand there are lots of things that can be done to minimise the effects of radiotherapy."
Lawyers from the NHS and Devon County Council, who are tasked with looking after the boy's interests, will resume the case into Neon's treatment at the High Court today.