Birmingham schoolgirl diagnosed with brain tumour after being told symptoms were 'growing pains'

A Birmingham schoolgirl was diagnosed with a brain tumour after being told the pain in her legs was just 'growing pains', her mum has said.

Honey Ibbitson was just 10 years old when she was told she had a mass in her brain in 2019, after years of constant leg pain that doctors had said was 'normal for her age'.

Honey's mum, Julie, said: "From the age of six, she had four years of tests but the doctors couldn’t see anything wrong other than growing pains, which they said were completely normal for her age.

"It got to the point where Honey was limping because to walk was too painful at times. My mother’s instinct was telling me there was more to it.

"I pushed for a referral to the hospital but never expected to be told that Honey had something growing in her brain."

After five years of scans showing the tumour was 'stable', Honey, who's now 15, was told her tumour, a cerebellopontine angle epidermoid cyst, had grown.

Julie says if the tumour had gone untreated, "it would’ve eventually caused loss of hearing, vision, speech and movement of the face."

Two months ago, the Year 10 student had surgery to remove the growth - and in January she returned to lessons at John Henry Newman Catholic College, where she's doing her mock GCSE exams.

Julie said her daughter is "keen to get back to school" and is looking forward to her favourite subject, drama.

Julie added: "Doctors told us that Honey probably had the tumour when she was in the womb which is terrifying to think about. Had her tumour not been found when it was, Honey could have been left with irreversible conditions and our story may have been very different."

Now, Julie is fundraising for the charity Brain Tumour Research by taking part in a 10,000 Steps a Day challenge.

She said: "To look at her, you wouldn’t know everything Honey has been through, we feel fortunate that she can return to school and lead the life you’d expect a 15-year-old should.

"The work of Brain Tumour Research is vital if we are to understand the complexity of brain tumours and eventually find a cure.

"It’s heartbreaking that brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer. I’m determined to be part of the solution."

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