Better Go To Specsavers - Optician Spots Girl's Brain Tumour

Better Go To Specsavers - Optician Spots Girl's Brain Tumour

A 12-year-old girl's brain tumour was diagnosed after she was told by a doctor: 'Better go to Specsavers'!

Schoolgirl Lucy Edwards had been enduring bouts of sickness which her family had put down to a stomach bug, but when she also complained of a stiff neck, sleepiness and vomiting, blood tests were arranged.

The results proved inconclusive, but a paediatrican examining Lucy advised her to get her eyes checked, having noticed some blurring which he felt needed further investigation.

An optician at Specsavers in Kenilworth took a photograph of the back of Lucy's eye using a special digtal retinal camera.

Optometrist Ambreena Ahsan Bhatti spotted immediately that something was not right, noting a large shadow on Lucy's retina.

She told the family to take Lucy straight to the Walsgrave Hospital in Coventry, calling ahead to the A&E department to advise them that they were on their way. Once at the hospital, tests revealed Lucy had a brain tumour.

Her dad Garren told The Birmingham Post that the whole experience had been a 'roller-coaster' for the family.

"Lucy had a CT scan at Walsgrave which confirmed our worst fears," he said. "She was suffering from a brain tumour. Because she hadn't suffered any headaches we hadn't considered that she could have a brain tumour.

"She was transferred straight away, by ambulance, to Birmingham Children's Hospital where she underwent an operation a couple of days later to remove most of the tumour.

"Although surgeons were unable to remove the entire tumour, due its location, the good news was that it was benign."

The worried dad added that it didn't 'bear thinking about' what might have happened if the tumour hadn't been picked up.

"It was such a relief," he said.

Lucy is now back at school having made a good recovery from the surgery. She will return to Birmingham Children's Hospital next month for an MRI scan to check the rest of the tumour is not posing a problem, and to see if she needs further treatment.

The grateful family are now fund-raising for the hospital charity, and have so far raised more than £1,500.

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