Specsavers help save child's life after tumour discovery

A mother-of-three has spoken about the importance a spur of the moment eye test at a Bradford district opticians was in saving her daughter's life.

Amy Edmonson has thanked Specsavers for discovering an issue with her child Charlotte's eyes - which meant she needed an immediate life-saving operation.

Amy feel so gratefully to still have Charlotte.

The tragic news was sparked by a trip to the Keighley store last month after the 10-year-old had been suffering from headaches and sickness, and could not get into her doctors.

Amy simply wanted to rule out that Charlotte needed glasses but optometrist Eleanor Greenwood noticed something far worse in the test on Friday, April 9. Both her optic nerves were severely swollen.

This led to a referral to Airedale General Hospital, at Steeton, where both mum and daughter were told intervention was needed to treat a brain tumour.

From there, it was all go as Amy raced Charlotte to the specialists over at Leeds General Infirmary.

The young girl has been through it all in the last month or so.

Blood was taken and more tests were done, then the next day the young girl, from Braithwaite, Keighley, took a turn for the worse.

She was rushed into the operation room and surgeons began to draw fluid out of the cyst that was causing pressure to build on the brain. 

This procedure, which required needles being pierced into Charlotte's head while she was awake, was repeated again the following day.

"The moment they mentioned the brain tumour I just broke down crying," Amy told the Telegraph & Argus.

"Charlotte has always had problems, understanding how serious things are. She would rather me tell her what is going on and not lie to her.

"So, I told her if she didn't have the operation, there would be a high chance she would die."

Her bravery has been off the scale.

Thankfully, the result of the 12 and a half hours of surgery on Tuesday, April 12, was a success with the 5x5cm tumour and cyst removed.

The potential of it being cancerous has yet to be confirmed by doctors, so Amy continues to worry. Meanwhile, Charlotte amazingly is staying positive.

"She is not one to show emotions," Amy added.

"My other two (children) would not have coped at all. She is such a brilliant kid.

"She proved everybody wrong at the hospital because she should not have come out as quick as she did.

"It hasn't seemed to sink in as she has not cried at all. She knows she could have cancer and is telling me not to cry.

"We are glad she is home but I am not going to relax until June 19 when we find out if it's cancer or not.

"They just want to rule it out, I am bricking myself to find out.

"It is common for kids who have tumours in the brain for it to grow back."

Amy is keen to pay tribute to the work of those at Specsavers for alerting her that Charlotte's eye test results were abnormal.

The team at the store were delighted to see Charlotte's happy face when she revisited the store soon after the trauma.

Charlotte revisited Specsavers once out of hospital

Amy added: "I took her back the day after she came out of hospital. They could not believe she was standing there smiling. They were amazed.

"If that had erupted at home, she would not have made it to hospital.

"I am more grateful than anything to the opticians. I would not have my daughter today if it wasn't for them.

"My daughter has a high pain threshold and does not complain much, so we would not have known."

A month on and the effects of the tumour are still plaguing Charlotte as she is unable to complete full schooldays or participate in PE.

"It has affected her big time because she is only managing half days at school.

"The LGI advised until September she is only to do half days and no PE. She is missing out on lots.

"If she gets a headache she needs to go to hospital. She only lasts until dinnertime when she gets all tired and not feeling well." 

Fingers crossed it is positive news for both Amy and Charlotte come June 19.