The family of a six-year-old girl who has undergone pioneering proton beam therapy following surgery for a brain tumour say they are planning the most ‘sparkly’ Christmas ever.
Erin Birdsey, of Northwich, is back home after a 10 week trip to Florida for proton beam therapy treatment and has even managed to play an angel in her nativity at St Wilfred’s Primary School - something her mother Rachael Birdsey feared she’d never see.
Erin was diagnosed in July after an optician spotted a build-up of pressure behind her eyeballs, a key warning sign of brain tumours.
Rachael, a play specialist at Leighton Hospital, Crewe, said: “I made an appointment at Boots Opticians in Northwich after I took Erin to our GP as she’d been complaining about headaches and he suggested I had her eyes checked.”
That night, Erin had an MRI scan at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and Rachael and her husband James were told the devastating news that Erin had a brain tumour.
After the 10-hour operation, Erin was in intensive care for two days and home within a week. Biopsy test results showed her tumour was a grade 2 ependymoma and that most of it had been removed.
She had further surgery a month later to remove the remaining slithers.
Rachael, James and son Oliver, two-and-a-half, the travelled with Erin to Jacksonville, Florida, for a 10-week course of proton beam therapy in September.
From Monday-Friday, Erin had a 40-minute session of proton beam therapy which is a highly targeted radiotherapy causing less damage to healthy tissue.
Rachael said: “The hardest bit was not being able to go in with her. The first time I was in tears, but Erin came out with a big smile on her face, hugged me and said; ‘It’s all right, Rach!’ She never complained once.”
At the end of her 33 treatments, Erin had a “graduation” ceremony when she rang a bell to celebrate the end of her treatment.
Now back home in Northwich, Cheshire, after the successful treatment, it’s the usual festive flurry of plays, carol concerts and writing present lists for Santa.
Rachael, said: “We’re happy to be home and grateful Erin is doing well.”
Now the family is keen to raise awareness through The Brain Tumour Charity’s HeadSmart campaign to increase the diagnosis rates in children and young adults.
Rachael said: “It’s a fantastic campaign and we’re also so grateful for the excellent treatment and care we’ve had from the NHS.”
Erin’s side effects include some hair loss, fatigue and weakness in her left hand side. She has also permanently lost field vision in her left eye.
Rachael added: “There are ongoing issues, so it’s not a fairy-tale. But we’re so grateful Erin was diagnosed early thanks to the optician and is doing well.
“Now we’re trying to find our new ‘normal.’ Life isn’t the same as it used to be, but we take each day as it comes and make the most of it. And we’re looking forward to making it the best – most sparkly – Christmas ever!”
