THE mum of a teenage boy who was told her son’s dizzy spells could be anxiety was heartbroken when the truth was discovered.
Jayce Robinson also had symptoms of nausea and hearing loss – and mum Kirsty Newton, 38, from Eccles, knew something wasn’t right.
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Kirsty, 38, from Eccles, Greater Manchester, said: “We kept taking him to the GP and they couldn’t find anything that could be causing it.
“They gave him anti-sickness medication and said it could be vertigo or anxiety.
“It was getting worse and he started collapsing with the dizzy spells so we were waiting on an ENT [ear nose and throat] appointment to come through.”
Jayce, who is now 15, was the top scorer on one of two local football leagues he played for.
“Then one season, when his symptoms were getting worse, he could hardly play as he couldn’t concentrate and could feel himself nearly collapsing on the pitch,”Kirsty said.
“His sick and dizzy episodes seem to get worse the more active he was, whereas before he loved going to the gym five days a week with his friends and loved staying fit and healthy.”
Jayce might have an episode while he was away, Kirsty thought. And in December 2021, her worst fear came true.
She said: “Jayce collapsed at school whilst doing P.E. His teacher called me to inform me that Jayce had fallen asleep, was sick, and couldn’t move.
“When I got there I was shocked by just how poorly he was. His teacher drove us to A&E as there were no ambulances available straight away.”
To her surprise, Jayce’s test results came back as normal – but it wasn’t long before his health would take another turn.
Jayce collapsed playing football with friends days later, but his tests results would again come back as normal.
Kirsty stated: “I was just upset and worried all the time as I just couldn’t give him any answers as to why he’s feeling like this.”
Jayce was finally called at Pendleton Gateway for an ENT appointment. Doctors initially believed that Jayce’s symptoms were related to migraines.
They sent him for an MRI just to be safe and just 20 minutes later, Kirsty received a phone call from Manchester Royal Children’s Hospital.
She said: “They said they wanted me to bring Jayce down to the children’s emergency department where a neurosurgeon, Dr Kamaly, was waiting to see him.
“My heart sank as I knew it wasn’t going to be good news. Jayce was calm, and was the one who told me to not worry.
“The doctor was amazing with us.
Jayce sat down with him and explained to Jayce that a scan had shown a large tumor on Jayce’s left side, behind his ear, in between his skull and his brain. They would have to perform an operation to remove it.
“I couldn’t stop crying. I could not believe what I was hearing.
“I looked at Jayce and the colour drained out of him. He stated that he felt relieved to finally know the truth and could do something about it.
“The tumour was 4cm by 3cm and that was what had been causing his hearing loss and all the sickness and collapsing. When I saw the scan photo, I was stunned. It was incredible in scale.
“It was the scariest time of my life. I was heartbroken to think he’d gone all these years with a tumour [growing inside his head] and him suffering.”
Jayce was diagnosed with an underlying brain tumour. This can lead to headaches, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms such as tiredness, vision problems, fatigue, sleepiness, nausea, and even seizures.
It is possible for the growths to be benign (noncancerous) and cancerous. Jayce’s diagnosis is unknown.
Jayce had a 16 hour operation on the tumour on May 30th.
Jayce suffered permanent hearing loss after the surgery. Doctors had to drill into Jayce’s left ear to remove the tumor and to cut into his skull.
Kirsty said: “Jayce was still smiling and was determined he was going to smash the operation and his recovery and that’s what he did!
“He is an amazing child and was positive, even though he was scared.
“That’s what kept me going. He was so strong, I couldn’t let him down.
“Six weeks Jayce stayed in the hospital overall, but just two weeks after his operation he was home.
“They said if he could master going up and down the stairs with the physio he could go home, so he smashed it and was allowed to come home to us and his sister and two younger brothers, which he couldn’t wait for.”
Jayce also suffers from facial paralysis. However, his doctors believe he will be fully recovered within 12 months.
Kirsty said: “He’s coping okay, just very tired all the time and has headaches and trouble sleeping at night.
“He also struggles with his left eye and is self-conscious of how his face has changed because of the paralysis.
“He has lost some weight due to being sick and struggled to eat for a few days after. However, he is determined that after the 12-week rest period and recovery, he will work on his fitness and health.
“He’s always trying to stay positive but does have his down days.
“He’s getting stronger all the time and he can’t wait to get back to the gym and playing football again.”
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