Boy, 7, dies of mind tumour as heartbroken mum shares signs | UK | News | EUROtoday

A seven-year-old ‘little fighter’ and ‘superhero’, Lenny Jax, sadly misplaced his life on April 5 following a battle with most cancers. The teen suffered from glioblastoma, a grade 4 mind most cancers, for 2 years. Now, Lenny’s heartbroken mom Sophie has courageously spoken as much as spotlight the signs of the mind tumour, which may typically be dismissed as a mere viral an infection or bug.

Hailing from Stockport, Lenny endured chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and an experimental drug from America, which weakened his bones, however he stayed sturdy and ‘by no means complained’. His well being points started manifesting as complications and vomiting in September 2022. Lenny additionally began displaying indicators of lethargy and located it tough to get off the bed. The gravity of his scenario got here to gentle throughout what was purported to be a routine eye examination.

Following that appointment, he was urgently whisked away for essential mind surgical procedure on the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. This marked the beginning of his household’s battle, experiences the Manchester Evening News. Mum Sophie recounted: “He had started getting headaches and was being sick in the mornings. He couldn’t get up in the mornings and was exhausted.”

She added: “He had an eye test at school and they noticed his vision wasn’t what it should have been so we were referred for another eye test but was told it could be at least six weeks, so I booked him in privately.

“They observed the nerves in the back of his eyes had been swollen. We went straight to Stepping Hill Hospital for a CT scan, the place they discovered a tumour the scale of an grownup’s fist on the correct facet of his mind.

“We were then sent to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital for surgery on his brain. It had been just a straightforward eye test and within a few hours he had been taken to surgery. It was the worst 12 hours of my life.”

The majority of the tumour was efficiently eliminated and subsequently analysed. Tragically, inside a mere two days, the household acquired essentially the most heart-wrenching information.

Mum Sophie mentioned: “They told us it was grade four glioblastoma. It was incurable. With it being so aggressive, the doctor’s words were that it was going to be tricky to fight, and that they didn’t think he would live longer than 12 months.

“It was horrible. Nobody can put together you for it. You by no means assume one thing like this might ever occur to you or your loved ones. He had simply been being sick, then two days later we had been instructed he did not have lengthy to dwell. As a mum or dad you simply go into battle or flight mode. We had been instructed there was nothing they might do.”

Cancer Research UK describes a glioblastoma as a ‘fast growing type of brain tumour’. All glioblastomas are classified as grade four, which denotes their rapid growth and malignant nature.

Two weeks post-surgery, it was discovered that Lenny had a brain leak, leading to another operation and the insertion of a shunt, which delayed the start of his radiotherapy, Sophie explained.

She further revealed that Lenny underwent daily rounds of radiotherapy for six weeks, during which he had to be anaesthetised; this led to a rapid weight loss. He also received chemotherapy and started ‘feeling sick and miserable’ due to the impact of the treatment.

Within a few weeks, his platelet count also plummeted, necessitating an emergency hospital admission for a critical blood transfusion. Despite the seriousness of his condition, Sophie says she never fully disclosed to Lenny the extent of his diagnosis, allowing him to maintain his cheerful childlike spirit.

In the summer of 2023, a scan revealed that the chemotherapy had ceased to be effective – and that the tumour had regrown, necessitating another life-saving brain surgery.

However, the family were given a glimmer of hope when it was determined that Lenny was eligible for a drug trial from the US. Sophie stated that he was the first child in the UK to receive the drug, which extended his life by 12 months and caused the remaining tumour, which couldn’t be removed, to shrink.

Despite this, the side effects included making his bones so fragile that he easily broke his femur and fractured his ankle within a matter of weeks.

“We acquired instructed he was on finish of life care and that there was nothing else they might do,” she explained. “But then we had been instructed he certified for a drug trial from America as a result of a mutation he had.

“He was scanned every three months, and the tumour that was left had massively shrunk. But with him being a guinea pig essentially, it made his bones so brittle.

“But, we acquired one other 12 months with him. Without it, he would’ve misplaced him a lot sooner. It was solely in January this yr {that a} scan confirmed that it was like a firework had gone off in his head and there have been speckles of the illness all over the place.

“The doctors came to the decision that there was nothing else they could do. We stayed at home with him for as long as he could, and took him everywhere he wanted to go, but he slowly got worse with the sickness and headaches.

“I could not be prouder to be his mummy”.

Lenny was readmitted to hospital in mid-March when another tumour was discovered at the back of his neck. Subsequently, he was moved to Francis House Children’s Hospice in Didsbury for end-of-life care, where he tragically died on April 5.

Sophie continued: “He spent his final week there. The employees had been completely wonderful and made it a lot extra bearable. It had been two-and-a-half years of continuous medicine. I am unable to thank them sufficient.

“The Wednesday before he died we took him out for fresh air, and he was playing Minecraft on his PlayStation. His body deteriorated and he closed his eyes. Within two days he stopped breathing.”

Lenny earned the nickname ‘Lenny the Lion’ as a result of his unflappable nature, in keeping with Sophie. “He never complained about anything. He was constantly so happy and thankful he was here. He was a little fighter. A true superhero.”

Following Lenny’s passing, his mom Sophie shared a heartfelt tribute on social media: “Our beautiful brave super hero Lenny Jax has gained his angel wings in the early hours this morning. Words can’t describe the heartbreak we our going through now.

“The solely factor that’s sitting proper with me is he’s now not in ache. No extra hospitals, no extra medicine, no extra being instructed he is not allowed to do what little boys needs to be doing.

“He battled this awful disease with everything he had and I couldn’t be more prouder to be his mummy … you rest now my sweet angel .. love you always and forever.”