A mum is urging parents to check for signs of cancer after her three-year-old son died from a rare cancer.
Sarah Cheung said she wants parents to trust their intuition when it comes to their children's health after her youngest son Lloyd started vomiting, walking into things and having silent seizures.
Sarah said she visited a doctor but was simply told her son had a virus, reports the Liverpool Echo.
But the mum still believed something was not right and returned to the doctors.
"There needs to be much more awareness. Now I've been through this with Lloyd, you don't realise how many kids are getting sick", she told the Echo.
After further tests, the doctors discovered a brain tumour and he was diagnosed with an atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour (ATRT) - an aggressive and rare tumour of the central nervous system.
Sarah said: "I did go to A&E twice with Lloyd before we had an appointment with the doctor, and we were told it was viral. But I took him to my doctor's surgery and we had a wonderful paediatric doctor who got us an appointment at Alder Hey, she was amazing.
"If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't have gotten diagnosed when he did. He went for a CT scan at Alder Hey and four days later went for an 11-hour operation where they removed it all. Lloyd was amazing, he took everything in his stride, even when he couldn't walk for a few months.
"Two weeks after we started chemotherapy as well as radiotherapy which was a brutal regime. It's unbearable but these kids are amazing in how they deal with it."
After the treatment, Lloyd went into remission in May 2022 but by July, another tumour had grown in the front of his head and four had appeared down his spine.
Sadly in October last year, Lloyd's family were given the heartbreaking news that nothing else could be done to cure the cancer.
On November 4 2022, at 6.44 am, Lloyd passed away in his mum's arms at Alder Hey Children's Hospital.
"From the moment Lloyd started throwing up, before he was diagnosed, I just knew in my head it was serious. Doctors should push for scans a bit more", Sarah said.
"I was told it was viral at first and if it wasn't for my doctor, we'd have kept going down that route and it would've been God knows how long until he was diagnosed. Just push for answers.
"You know your child and you know when something isn't right, listen to your gut and push until you get those tests."
Sarah says no matter the pain, Lloyd always remained happy and had a smile on his face throughout.
She added: "He was always smiling, he always wanted to play, especially when he saw other children at the hospital.
"He was an inspiration, he was one of a kind. I have two other children as well but he was different, he was a right wild child and a rebel. He made everyone laugh and smile. I miss him so much, I feel so lost without him."
The Brain Tumour Charity is urging people to know the signs of brain cancer for brain tumour awareness month. Common symptoms in children include:
- Headaches
- Changes in vision
- Nausea and vomiting
- Balance problems
- Seizures
- Behaviour changes
- Abnormal head position/Abnormal growth
- Excessive thirst
- Reduced consciousness
