THE GRIEVING parents of a five-year-old girl who died from a brain tumour are planning to take legal action after claiming she was sent home by doctors who said she was suffering from migraines.

Robert and Jeanette Haworth were devastated when Laura Jayne Haworth died from the tumour on Monday.

Laura, who lived with her parents and older sister Sarah Louise in Glenfield Close, Little Harwood, Blackburn, collapsed at her grandmother's home on Saturday.

She was taken to Blackburn Infirmary and was initially treated for a virus. When a head scan revealed Laura had a tumour she was taken to Pendlebury Children's Hospital in Manchester.

Doctors told her parents Laura's brain was showing no signs of life and the decision to turn off her life support machine was taken on Monday.

Jeanette Haworth said: "Laura was a lovely little girl, she was very bubbly and full of life all the time.

"She never got on the wrong side of anybody. We are all still in shock, one minute she was here and the next minute she has been taken from us."

Laura, who was a pupil at St Stephen's Junior School, started complaining of headaches around three months ago.

The family say the problem was originally diagnosed as stress headaches and then the youngster was given pain killers for migraines. When the problem continued the Haworth's took Laura to Blackburn Royal Infirmary for a check-up. They say the youngster had her head X-rayed and was given more medication for migraines.

Mrs Haworth added: "Laura had been complaining of headaches and stomach pains on Saturday and she collapsed upstairs at her grandmother's.

"When she came to she was staggering from side to side and her eyes were not focusing properly.

"We took her to hospital and after treating her for a virus they eventually gave her a head scan.

"About two hours later they came back and told us Laura had a tumour, we were absolutely devastated.

"After months of being told she had migraines it was very difficult coming to terms with what happened."

A service is being held at St Stephen's church tomorrow

followed by a cremation at Pleasington.

The family are planning to contact a solicitor with a view to taking legal action and making a formal complaint.

A spokesman for the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Authority, which manages BRI, said: "Obviously, we would like to pass on our deepest sympathies to the Haworth family.

"If they have any concerns then we would urge them to contact us as soon as possible.

"Their concerns will be looked at in depth and we will take any action necessary."

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