Mum discovers daughter’s stomach ache was deadly brain cancer
A mother-of-two was horrified to discover her three-year-old daughter’s seemingly innocent stomach ache was actually caused by an aggressive brain cancer.
Brooke Mcllroy was feeding her daughter Luca breakfast when the toddler started throwing up and was “a little unsteady on her feet” at their Perth home on May 4.
Quickly rushing to the hospital, doctors discovered that Luca was suffering from a deadly brain cancer, and had fears that she wouldn’t survive.
After taking her to Perth Children’s Hospital, Luca was diagnosed with atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour (ATRT) – an aggressive form of cancer.
The tumour was pressing on Luca’s brainstem and cerebellum, the part of the brain that sends and receives messages to the rest of the body.
Little Luca underwent seven hours of neurosurgery to remove the tumour on May 7 and is now recovering at home.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Ms Mcllroy said she initially thought her daughter had a stomach bug or delayed concussion.
“A couple weeks leading up to that (her diagnosis), she would vomit at breakfast every day,” she said.
“She would trip over things she wouldn't normally and talking to her dad, we thought she had a fall that gave her delayed concussion.
“I also thought she had a stomach bug so I stopped dairy products, thinking it's dietary and was trying all of these things.”
When she visited the GP, a CT scan was conducted which ruled out the concussion.
Fortunately, the scan picked up the tumour, allowing the doctor to discover the cancer.
“That doctor is an absolute hero. If it wasn't for that scan, we wouldn't have found out about Luca's tumour,” Ms McIlroy said.
After the terrifying diagnosis, Ms Mcllroy thought she would have lost her daughter forever.
“I was terrified. I thought we were going to lose her (Luca) and I didn't know how to explain it to her sister, or to my ex-husband,” she said.
But thankfully, after a surgery on May 7, Luca has learnt to walk again as she recovers at home with the rest of her family.
“She has learnt to sit up again, and not vomit. She is starting to walk again now but she needs help with balance,” Ms McIlroy said.
“Her left arm is a bit slower but with rehab, it’s better than it was.”
But Luca still has a long road of intensive treatment ahead of her.
She will begin seven months of intensive treatment made up of of high-dose chemotherapy and radiation therapy from Tuesday, June 2.