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'FOBBED OFF'
My boy went from playing outside to collapsing in my arms and dying – for years doctors just told me to give him Calpol
Mum Lesley reveals what she wishes she had known before it was too late
FOR years, doctors repeatedly told mum Lesley Walsh to give her son Calpol.
Little Thomas Pickles was vomiting and had headaches - but medics brushed him off as having mild infections that didn't require medical attention.
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However, in June 2023, aged six, the youngster collapsed and died in his mother's arms.
Tests later revealed he had an undiagnosed brain tumour.
Despite regular trips to the GP, his condition had never been investigated.
Lesley, from Padiham, Lancashire, said: "He was a lovely, cheeky, cute little boy and we miss him so much.
READ MORE ON BRAIN TUMOURS
"I just hope others will learn from our loss because if Thomas had been diagnosed, perhaps he might have been saved.
"Because his death was unexplained, there was a police investigation and our home 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 dad, Michael, now 46, his sister, Fiona, now 14, and brother Leon, now 13.
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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 enjoyed playing with him."
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Aged two months, Thomas began vomiting, and Lesley took him to their family doctor.
It was the start of an illness which lasted right through his short life.
"The GP told me not to worry," Lesley said.
"When it didn’t clear up, I went back and saw a different doctor.
'Fobbed off as an over-anxious mum'
"They said he had a viral infection, then a chest infection. They told me to give him Calpol.
"I felt I was being fobbed off, treated like an over-anxious mum, but I sensed there was something wrong.
"Yet when the doctors told me he was fine, I trusted them completely.
"Over time, I accepted that perhaps he was a sickly baby."
How could a perfectly healthy little boy go from playing outside to dying?
Lesley
At the age of four, Thomas complained of headaches and Lesley again returned to the GP, who assured her it was a viral infection and prescribed Calpol.
"I was worried, but I put my faith in the doctors," Lesley said.
"And in between bouts of illness, Thomas was a happy little boy.
"He loved Peppa Pig, and he was especially close to Leon. They shared a bedroom and loved playing on the trampoline.
"He started school, and would come home every day, throw his uniform off, and get straight into his pyjamas.
"He loved nothing more than running around in his ‘jamas and slippers.
"He adored school, and his teacher told me that Thomas would always go and cuddle the kids who were upset or hurt."
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By the time Thomas turned five, his sickness had become significantly worse.
He vomited so violently that he was regularly sent home from school.
Lesley said: "Again, I was back and forth from the GP surgery, who told me he just had a bug."
On June 11, 2023, Thomas was again sick and went to bed early without eating his evening meal.
"I kept checking on him, and at 2am, he got up, but was dizzy and unbalanced," Lesley said.
"I took him in my arms, and he stopped breathing. I was panicking, ringing an ambulance and doing CPR.
"Leon woke up and saw the whole thing."
'We had no idea what was wrong'
Thomas was rushed to hospital, where his family were allowed to say a final goodbye.
"We were in shock," the mum added.
"How could a perfectly healthy little boy go from playing outside to dying?
"We’d no idea what was wrong. It was a hot day and we thought he might have heatstroke."
Because 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 a postmortem showed Thomas had a brain tumour.
It was another two weeks before the police investigation was concluded.
The most common symptoms of a brain tumour
More than 12,000 Brits are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour every year — of which around half are cancerous — with 5,300 losing their lives.
The disease is the most deadly cancer in children and adults aged under 40, according to the Brain Tumour Charity.
Brain tumours reduce life expectancies by an average of 27 years, with just 12 per cent of adults surviving five years after diagnosis.
There are two main types, with non-cancerous benign tumours growing more slowly and being less likely to return after treatment.
Cancerous malignant brain tumours can either start in the brain or spread there from elsewhere in the body and are more likely to return.
Brain tumours 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
- Being sick
- Memory problems
- Change in personality
- Weakness or paralysis on one side of the body
- Vision problems
- Speech problems
If you are suffering any of these symptoms, particularly a headache that feels different from the ones you normally get, you should visit your GP.
Source: NHS
"The police were very supportive, but it was just another awful thing to cope with," Lesley said.
"We couldn’t believe Thomas had gone.
"When we found out it was a brain tumour, I was devastated.
"I thought back to his years of vomiting and headaches, and I wondered if he could have been saved."
It took a year for the family to learn Thomas’ tumour was a glioblastoma - a common, fast-growing type of the disease.
His family have made a memorial garden, with a bench, outside their home.
To mark the first anniversary of his passing, Lesley wore pyjamas every day for a month, collecting donations for the Brain Tumour Charity on the streets of their hometown.
I miss my pyjama-loving boy so much. I don’t want any other family to go through this
Lesley
The heartbroken 42-year-old said: "Thomas loved to wear pyjamas. His favourite were his dinosaur ones and his monster slippers.
"Every day, he’d come in from school and put them on.
"Every so often we’d have a pyjama day and he’d cheer because he was so excited."
She added: "There were a couple of days when the weather was really warm, but I kept going.
"It is so important to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of brain tumours.
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"If your child is showing symptoms like headaches, vomiting or dizziness, please insist on further tests.
"I miss my pyjama-loving boy so much. 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 tumour.
Symptoms depend on where the tumour is located, but they can include:
- Headaches
- Personality changes
- Memory problems
- Trouble speaking or understanding
- Tiredness
- Depression
- Difficulty thinking
- Seizures
- Problems with eyesight
Scientists don't fully understand what causes glioblastomas, therefore there is no clear way to prevent the disease.
The main treatments include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
The average survival time following a glioblastoma diagnosis is 12 to 18 months.
Only 25 per cent of patients live beyond one year, and just five per cent survive more than five years.
Source: Cancer Research UK and the Brain Tumour Charity