A SCHOOLGIRL girl who was just 4ft 11in was found to have a brain tumour that led to blindness in one eye.
When Faith O’Toole’s mum Jane took her 13-year-old daughter to the doctor she was advised that she was just “short for her age.”
SWNSFaith O’Toole’s growth was inhibited by a tumour[/caption]
SWNSFaith’s mum was worried about her daughter’s height[/caption]
SWNSFaith with her mum Jane[/caption]
But when Faith, from Preston in Lancs, failed to grow over the next 12 months doctors agreed to carry out more checks.
This led to an MRI scan which detected craniopharyngioma — a rare non-cancerous brain tumour.
Doctors found that the tumour had pressed against Faith’s pituitary gland. This restricted the gland’s production of growth hormone, affecting Faith’s height.
The tumour was removed during a nine-hour operation. When Faith woke up from the gruelling procedure she had no sight in her left eye.
Her mum Jane, speaking to the Daily Mail, said: “It was absolutely horrendous.
“After the surgery, they came to me and said they were worried she could be fully blind as the tumour has gone all the way through her optic nerve.
“I remembered one thing that Faith said to me before the operation – ”I would rather be dead than be blind.”’
Jane, palliative care specialist nurse, praised her daughter’s resilience and bravery.
She said: “Even the consultants are saying that she’s amazing and they can’t believe the challenges she’s faced.
“She’s done it all with a smile on her little face and she’s never complained once. I don’t know how she does it.”
Faith was diagnosed with meningitis after surgery and also experienced complications leaking cerebral spinal fluid from her nose.
Jane revealed the moment she was told by doctors that her daughter had a tumour. She said: “My world turned upside down and I rumbled but had to go and pick her up from school, go and get our bags packed for the hospital and act calm for her.
“I picked her up and she said who’s died! I said no one but we have to go to the hospital as they have found something on your scans, off we went.”
Her mum posted an update on her daughter’s condition which stated: “Faith is doing really well. Everything is going to plan, her lumber drain is draining quite a lot therefore they are not going to challenge the nose repair for at least another week to give the nose more time to heal reducing the chance of it breaking down.
“The fluid on her brain (hydrocephalus) seems to be a lot therefore she will most probably require a shunt to manage this.
“Physio have been to get her up for a short walk today and she did well.
“Her memory is still rather poor so the nurses are doing activities with her to try and help with this.
“Thank you all so very much for your continued support, donations, messages and offers of kindness. I am overwhelmed and humbled by this.”
To contribute to a Go Fund Me page for Jane and her daughter go here.
SWNSFaith O’Toole recovering in hospital after a gruelling operation to remove a tumour[/caption]