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The family of two-year-old Ivy-Rose Jones was left devastated after doctors discovered a large tumor on her brain. Ivy-Rose’s aunty, Lisa, initially suspected that the toddler had an ear infection when she became unwell. However, after her condition didn’t improve, Lisa and her sister Leanne called for an ambulance, a decision that would change their lives. report from The Mirror.
Medics performed a brain scan that revealed a massive tumor on Ivy-Rose’s cerebrum, the largest part of the brain. She was immediately rushed into surgery at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. Doctors warned the family that there was a risk Ivy-Rose could die during the operation if she experienced a bleed on the brain.
Lisa, a paramedic from Bidston, Merseyside, described the difficult situation, saying, “They’ve removed 85% of the tumor, but a significant amount is still attached. They’ve had to cut through the muscles in her neck.”
After the surgery, Ivy-Rose was no longer the same lively toddler her family knew. Lisa explained, “She hasn’t come back as the same little girl. She can’t hold her head up, can’t focus with her eyes, she’s lost her appetite. It’s a very aggressive form of cancer, and she’s going to have chemotherapy and radiotherapy.”
Just a day before the devastating diagnosis, Lisa had taken Ivy-Rose shopping. Everything seemed normal until Ivy-Rose became wobbly and unsteady the following day. The family initially thought it might be a viral or ear infection. “There was nothing jumping out really… An infection can really make you unbalanced,” Lisa recalled. They were shocked when tests revealed the tumor.
In response to the overwhelming challenges facing the family, Lisa set up a GoFundMe campaign to support Ivy-Rose and her sister Leanne. Lisa believes Ivy-Rose may need a wheelchair due to her condition, and Leanne has been struggling to balance her time between the hospital and her other two children, Lexie-John and Aliya-John. “It’s just about getting some help and support and some sort of transport to and from the hospital,” Lisa said.
Reflecting on the rapid turn of events, Lisa expressed her gratitude that they sought emergency care instead of going to a walk-in clinic. “Looking back, I’m quite glad we didn’t go to the walk-in center, we could have been turned away. It’s so scary to think that she had no symptoms,” she said. told by BBC.
Lisa also shared the emotional toll the diagnosis has taken on the family: “Our lives have been turned upside down overnight. She was such a happy, go-lucky girl.”
As Ivy-Rose continues her battle, Lisa remains hopeful but realistic about the care she will need moving forward. “I know Ivy-Rose is going to need a lot of care now.”
