‘A&E medics thought my toddler’s big tumour was constipation’

A determined mum says she knew one thing was severely incorrect along with her two-year-old daughter when she was stressed all through the night time. However, nothing might have ready Claire Jones for what the subsequent few weeks would deliver.

After her daughter, Gracie Tudor, was screaming in ache, Claire rushed her to Dudley Urgent Care Centre at Russells Hall Hospital on March 13. She was advised by medics that the tot had constipation and so they tried to ship her house with laxatives. However, Claire knew one thing was incorrect along with her daughter and pushed to see a physician.

The Trust wished Gracie’s household properly with fundraising efforts, reports Birmingham Live, and mentioned she had been handled consistent with her signs. They added she and her household had additionally been supported with subsequent steps following her full analysis.

After Claire pushed to see a physician the 33-year-old was then left ready with Gracie for twelve hours whereas her daughter obtained step by step extra distressed. “We were put into a room on our own and she just slept,” Claire mentioned.

“The nurses thought that she just had constipation. It took 12 hours for a doctor to come and see us – we got there at 8am and they finally came at 8pm.

“She had no cowl and was sweating. She was actually flush within the face and I used to be anxious the constipation had gone septic. I raised the alarm and mentioned I would like a physician proper now. They mentioned she wanted fluids asap and she or he did not even flinch after they put the canular in she was that torpid.”

Gracie was then admitted to the hospital where she was given antibiotics for two days before being sent home on March 15. Claire claims that during this time, no investigations or scans were done. A few days later, Gracie was crying in pain once again. Claire rushed her back to the urgent care centre at Russells Hall Hospital on March 18 and was concerned that she could have appendicitis.

The pair claim they were left waiting for eight hours to see a doctor. Claire, from Kingswinford, said: “I took her to A&E once more and so they needed to ship me house with Movicol (a laxative). I did kick off a bit bit and eight hours later a physician got here to see us. I get it’s busy and I perceive that. He felt her tummy and felt one thing on the fitting aspect which he thought was faeces.” Gracie was sent for an X-ray and ultrasound.

Claire continued: “In the meantime, they did point out to me Birmingham Children’s Hospital and mentioned whether it is appendicitis, they can not do something right here due to her age. I used to be not occupied with most cancers at this level.

“We went to ultrasound and the men did not speak to me. They were scanning her and she was crying and sweating – I’ve never seen sweat like it. He ran out of the room and punched his number into his door and grabbed the phone.

“We get again upstairs and I settle her down. Forty minutes later a nurse got here to get us and I believed it was appendicitis that went dangerous. The physician was struggling to get phrases out and I mentioned ‘simply inform me’. They advised me that they had discovered a big mass on her liver. I requested if it was most cancers and so they mentioned they did not know.” Gracie was taken to Birmingham Children’s Hospital by ambulance later that night.

Following two biopsies, the tot was diagnosed with a neuroblastoma on her adrenal gland. Claire said: “They thought she was bleeding internally. One physician advised us ‘her sickness has taken a nosedive.'”

Gracie’s tumour is 15x10cm and “protrudes out of her abdomen,” Claire said. “Grace is 11kg in the mean time, she is totally tiny, she is pores and skin and bone.”

The tot began chemotherapy treatments on April 6. Her mum and dad, Ste, have been told that Gracie has a 24 per cent chance of survival if she goes through the aggressive treatment.

Her parents are hoping to take her overseas for medical care not available in the UK and have launched a GoFundMe page to raise money for this. Claire said: “The signs are rising once more with flushness and the sweating – it’s a matter of life and demise. We are taking a look at a trial in Germany and remedy within the USA.”

Claire now wants other parents to be aware of the symptoms of neuroblastoma. She said: “I’m again in mother mode and attempt to be constructive for her. All I can do is have hope. I am unable to thank individuals sufficient for his or her assist. Parents have to learn about this, it was missed for 2 weeks. 

“If it ever gets to a point where treatment isn’t working, I will not let her suffer. So we have to take it cycle by cycle and day by day.”

Diane Wake, chief government of the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust NHS, mentioned: “Our thoughts are with Gracie and her family at this time and we wish them well with their fundraising efforts.

“Our staff treated Gracie in line with the symptoms that were presented and we supported the family with the next steps following her full diagnosis.”

You can view Gracie’s GoFundMe web page right here.