A 'sport' teenager who doctors thought was suffering from vertigo has been diagnosed with a rare brain tumour.
Jayce Robinson, 15, was rushed to hospital after collapsing during a PE lesson and diagnosed with vestibular schwannoma - a benign tumour that grows between the brain and skull close to the ear.
Mum Kirsty Newton, 38, said it wasn't the first time her son had collapsed and that he had been suffering with periods of nausea and dizziness for 18 months.
Medics initially thought that the teen from Eccles, Salford, had vertigo and Jayce was prescribed anti-sickness medication.
However, he continued to feel unwell and his condition soon became more 'severe', Manchester Evening News reports.
It wasn't until last month that specialists eventually diagnosed the teen with the tumour, which has now left him deaf in one ear.
Kirsty said: “The collapsing was a bit more severe, it happened after school and they rang me and I had to take him to A&E, they checked him over and he seemed okay.
“They kept him for monitoring for a few hours and he seemed alright but it happened again a few times. He’s a very sporty lad you see, plays football and goes to the gym all the time and it was affecting him that way.
“The more sports he was doing the more noticeable it was. I was worried all the time.
“I didn’t know what it was or if he was going to be alright when he left the house. He’s a 15-year-old, he wanted to go to the gym, he wanted to go out. I couldn’t stop him without knowing what the reason was for.”
Last month, following his latest fall and trip to A&E, the family received a letter to say he had a scan booked in at Trafford General Hospital. The family was told to expect a call within a few weeks - but just an hour after Jayce was seen, the hospital called to say a tumour had been found.
Jayce has been in hospital since. He had an operation at Manchester Royal Infirmary. The operation has left him bed ridden and unable to work. Kirsty said his hearing in his left ear has gone.
His recovery is expected to take around a year. Jayce has managed to keep a smile on his face, despite his ordeal.
His mum added: “He’s going to be okay, he can move his arms and legs he just hasn’t put them into motion.
“It’s going to be tough but I’ve got every faith that he’ll just smash it because he’s a strong kid. He’s lost his hearing now because they had to cut through the nerve.
“I feel sorry for him but I tell you, he’s still smiling. He’s a lovely kid, it’s heart-breaking to see him go through it but I’m also proud to see him smash it as well.”
A family friend has created a GoFundMe to raise money to support Jayce’s family. You can find the fundraiser here.
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