A Lancashire mum has spoken out about "the worst time of her life" after discovering her daughter had a tumour "the size of her fist" behind her eye.
Nine-year-old Skye Brierley, from Blackpool, was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of soft-tissue cancer after waking up one morning with her "left eye turned the wrong way around".
Skye’s cancer is incurable, and the children’s charity Make-A-Wish UK have launched a fundraising appeal to help grant Skye’s wish for a gaming computer, which will provide respite and entertainment during ongoing treatment.
On December 23, 2017, Skye – who was aged four at the time – woke up with her left eye turned inward.
Her mother, Ruth, immediately took Skye to Specsavers where they were unable to diagnose the problem, but suspected it wasn’t urgent.
“I knew something wasn’t right,” said Ruth, 47, about that fateful morning.
“We came home and did Christmas, but within two hours of her opening her presents she was fast asleep on the sofa.
“We gave her some chocolate and she perked up a bit so we thought she might be diabetic.”
By December 27 Skye’s condition had not improved.
Ruth said: “I took her to the GP that day, and he ruled out diabetes.”
“Then he shone a light up her nose and said - ‘I need you to go to Blackpool Victoria Children’s Hospital, and I need you to go right now’.”
Ruth and Skye were at the hospital for 10 hours undergoing CT scans, blood tests and cognitive functioning tests.
The following morning Ruth and her husband Michael were asked to speak privately to the doctor whilst Skye went outside to play.
Ruth said: “As soon as they sent Skye out, I knew it wasn’t good.”
Doctors suspected Skye had Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) - an aggressive form of cancer – in her head.
“Her tumour was the size of an adult fist," said Ruth. “It hadn’t infiltrated the brain but had gone under, strangling her optic nerve.”
Skye and her parents were driven to Manchester Children’s Hospital, where a biopsy confirmed the diagnosis and chemotherapy treatment began straight away.
Due to the location of the tumour, it was considered inoperable. After six months of intense chemotherapy, the family were flown to Florida for 12 weeks to undergo proton beam radiotherapy, while Skye’s older siblings stayed behind with relatives to avoid missing school.
Ruth said: “It was the worst time of our lives. We all missed each other so much, and it was so stressful.
"Skye found it very difficult to cope, but she was incredibly brave.”
Now aged nine, Skye loves primary school and wants to grow up to be either a teacher or an oncology nurse.
She is currently waiting for her wish for a Gaming PC to be granted by Make-A-Wish UK.
Ruth added: “Skye has a lot of anxiety after her ordeal, and gaming is an escape for her.
"It’s a place where she can be creative and let her imagination run wild.
“She loves to build things – she wants to build an entire world of mansions on Minecraft!”
Make-A-Wish UK has launched a gaming fundraising appeal this month for children like Skye, hoping to raise £400,000 – the amount that it says is needed to grant wishes for 200 children.
Members of the gaming community are being urged to take part in sponsored livestreams, using platforms like Twitch to raise money for Make-A-Wish UK whilst gaming.
Jason Suckley, chief executive of Make-A-Wish UK said: “When a child like Skye is diagnosed with a critical condition, the joy of childhood is brought to an abrupt end with treatment plans, hospital appointments and worry taking over.
“The power of a wish can light up the darkness for children living with a critical condition, leaving a profound and lasting impact on their lives.
“Your next live-stream could be a lifeline, helping to light up the darkness for 200 children like Skye across the UK.”
Ruth hopes that a gaming PC will provide entertainment and respite for her daughter during ongoing treatment, as the location of Skye’s tumour means she will sadly never be given the ‘all clear’.
“The best thing we can hope for is stability,” said Ruth.
“The way the doctor explained it, it’s like her tumour is now encased in scar tissue – and that’s where we want it to stay. But it will never be gone completely.”
You can donate to Make-A-Wish UK’s fundraising appeal here.
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