For years, doctors repeatedly told mother Lesley Walsh to give her son Calpol.
Little Thomas Pickles was vomiting and had headaches – but doctors ruled him out as having mild infections that didn’t require medical attention.
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However, in June 2023, at the age of six, the young man fainted and died in his mother’s arms.
Later tests revealed he had an undiagnosed brain tumor.
Despite regular visits to the family doctor, his condition was never investigated.
Lesley, from Padiham, Lancashire, said: “He was a lovely, cheeky and cute little boy and we miss him so much.
“I just hope others learn from our loss, because if Thomas had been diagnosed, perhaps he could have been saved.
“As his death was not explained, there was a police investigation and our house was searched.
“I would hate for any other parent to go through our pain.”
Thomas was the youngest of Lesley’s children, adored by his father, Michael, now 46, his sister, Fiona, now 14, and his brother Leon, now 13.
Lesley said: “My pregnancy was a surprise and we saw Thomas as our little miracle.
“He was such a good baby, always smiling. The older kids loved him, they liked playing with him.”
At two months old, Thomas started vomiting and Lesley took him to his family doctor.
It was the beginning of an illness that lasted his entire short life.
“The GP told me not to worry,” Lesley said.
“When it didn’t get better, I went back and saw a different doctor.
‘Deceived like a super anxious mother’
“They said he had a viral infection, then a chest infection. I was told to give him Calpol.
“I felt like I was being deceived, treated like an overeager mother, but I felt there was something wrong.
“However, when the doctors told me he was fine, I trusted them completely.
“Over time, I accepted that maybe he was a sick baby.”
How could a perfectly healthy boy go from playing outside to dying?
Lesley
At four years old, Thomas complained of headaches and Lesley went back to her family doctor again, who assured her it was a viral infection and prescribed Calpol.
“I was worried, but I trusted the doctors,” Lesley said.
“And between bouts of illness, Thomas was a happy boy.
“He loved Peppa Pig and was especially close to Leon. They shared a room and loved playing on the trampoline.
“He started studying and came home every day, took off his uniform and went straight into his pajamas.
“He loved nothing more than running around in his pajamas and slippers.
“He loved school, and his teacher told me that Thomas always hugged kids who were upset or hurt.”
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When Thomas turned five, his illness worsened significantly.
He vomited so violently that he was regularly sent home from school.
Lesley said: “Once again, I was going back and forth to the GP surgery, who told me I just had a virus.”
On June 11, 2023, Thomas fell ill again and went to bed early without making dinner.
“I kept checking on him and at 2am he got up but was dizzy and off balance,” Lesley said.
“I took him in my arms and he stopped breathing. I was panicking, called an ambulance and did CPR.
“Leon woke up and saw everything.”
‘We had no idea what was wrong’
Thomas was rushed to the hospital, where his family was able to say goodbye for the last time.
“We were in shock,” added the mother.
“How could a perfectly healthy little boy go from playing outside to dying?
“We had no idea what was wrong. It was a hot day and we thought he might have heatstroke.”
As the death was unexplained, the family home had to be searched by police and Lesley and Michael were interviewed.
They were in limbo for two weeks until an autopsy showed Thomas had a brain tumor.
It was another two weeks before the police investigation was completed.
The most common symptoms of a brain tumor
More than 12,000 Brits are diagnosed with a primary brain tumor every year – of which around half are cancerous – and 5,300 lose their lives.
The disease is the deadliest cancer in children and adults under 40, according to the Brain Tumor Charity.
Brain tumors reduce life expectancy by an average of 27 years, with just 12% of adults surviving five years after diagnosis.
There are two main types, with non-cancerous benign tumors growing more slowly and being less likely to return after treatment.
Cancerous malignant brain tumors can start in the brain or spread from other parts of the body and are more likely to return.
Brain tumors can cause headaches, seizures, nausea, vomiting and memory problems, according to the NHS.
They can also lead to changes in personality weakness or paralysis on one side of the problem and problems with speech or vision.
The nine most common symptoms are:
- Headaches
- Seizures
- Feeling sick
- Be sick
- Memory Problems
- Change in personality
- Weakness or paralysis on one side of the body
- Vision problems
- Speech problems
If you are suffering from any of these symptoms, especially a headache that is different to the ones you normally experience, you should visit your family doctor.
Source: SNS
“The police were very supportive but it was just another horrible thing to face,” said Lesley.
“We couldn’t believe Thomas was gone.
“When we found out it was a brain tumor, I was devastated.
“I thought about his years of vomiting and headaches and wondered if he could have been saved.”
It took the family a year to discover that Thomas’s tumor was a glioblastoma – a common and fast-growing type of the disease.
His family made a memorial garden, with a bench, outside the house.
To mark the first anniversary of her death, Lesley wore pajamas every day for a month, collecting donations for the Brain Tumor Charity on the streets of his hometown.
I really miss my boy who loves pajamas. I don’t want any other family to go through this.
Lesley
The heartbroken 42-year-old said: “Thomas loved wearing pajamas. His favorites were the dinosaur ones and the monstrous slippers.
“Every day he would come home from school and put them on.
“Every now and then we would have a pajama day and he would cheer because he was so excited.”
She added: “There were a few days when the weather was really hot, but I kept going.
“It is very important to raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of brain tumors.
“If your child has symptoms such as headaches, vomiting or dizziness, insist on further tests.
“I really miss my son who loves pajamas. I don’t want any other family to go through this.”
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What is a glioblastoma?
Glioblastomas are a fast-growing type of cancerous brain tumor.
Symptoms depend on where the tumor is located but may include:
- Headaches
- Personality changes
- Memory Problems
- Difficulty speaking or understanding
- Tiredness
- Depression
- Difficulty thinking
- Seizures
- Problems with vision
Scientists don’t fully understand what causes glioblastomas, so there is no clear way to prevent the disease.
The main treatments include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
The average survival time after a diagnosis of glioblastoma is 12 to 18 months.
Only 25% of patients live longer than a year and only 5% survive longer than five years.
Source: Cancer Research UK and Brain Tumor Charity
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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