Mum's warning as daughter dies from brain tumour thought to be tummy bug
The family were told she had just six to 12 months to live - but Ava outlived this and passed away nearly two years later - aged 12.
A mum is urging parents to trust their instincts after her daughter's tummy bug turned out to be an inoperable brain tumour.
Jackie Dunlop, 38, became concerned when her daughter, Ava Nelson, then 10, suffered with severe headaches and sickness for three weeks.
She took her to see the GP and went to her local hospital but was told it was a viral infection or a gastric bug. But after the fourth week of Ava feeling unwell, Jackie pushed for more testing.
An MRI revealed a pressure of Ava's brain - caused by a large mass - and she was rushed up to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.
She had to have an emergency operation to relieve the pressure and a biopsy a week later revealed Ava had a high grade glioblastoma.
The family were told she had just six to 12 months to live - but Ava outlived this and passed away nearly two years later in April 2024 - aged 12.
Now her mum wants others to trust their gut. Jackie, who previously worked as a carer, from Kilwinning, Ayrshire, said: "We thought it was a sickness bug.
"But going into week three I started to worry. Everyone put it down to a viral sickness bug. Four weeks I had been fighting with doctors.
"The surgeon told us if we didn't fight she'd have been dead withing a week because the pressure was that bad.
"I always say to any mother go with your gut instinct if you feel that something is wrong with your child. If you feel something is wrong then go get them checked.
"If you aren't getting anywhere stand your ground and make sure you get the help and support you need until you have the right answers.
"Mothers know their child best."
Ava started getting headaches, dizzy spells and balance issues in early May 2022. She went to her GP and to her local hospital but it was brushed off as a viral infection.
Jackie wasn't happy and pushed to get her to the children's ward at Crosshouse Hospital. She said: "To look at her you wouldn't know anything was wrong.
"They agreed to do blood tests - Ava then started vomiting. She started declining but the blood tests came back fine. I pushed for a scan."
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Ava had an MRI which revealed a mass on her brain. She had to be blue-lighted to Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow on May 31, 2022.
Jackie said: "They told us Ava has severe pressure on her brain. They found a tumour. The pressure was caused by the tumour."
Ava had to have an emergency operation the next day but doctors were unable to remove all of the tumour due to its position.
The biopsy results came back a week later on June 8, 2022 and Ava was diagnosed with cancer.
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