In March 2025, my daughter was diagnosed with a malignant tumour; the tumour was located in her cerebellum.

Ever since she was born, Anna has been a shy, quiet little girl; she found it hard to make friends at school and was teased because of it. She has no friends apart from her siblings and us, her parents. When we found out she had a brain tumour, we were completely devastated and distraught, asour other little girl had died during childbirth just a year earlier.

Her eyesight kept getting worse, and then her walking became unsteady, so a neurological examination was requested alongside numerous other tests, and theMRI scan revealed the brain tumouron 4 March 2025, at which point we were told that her condition was so serious that she would need surgery the very next day. 

After a 4.5-hour operation, the tumour was removed; according to the doctor, due to its size and extent, it was likely a malignant lesion, which was confirmed by subsequent histopathology as a medulloblastoma,a malignant tumour of childhood!

Unfortunately, the cerebrospinal fluid did not drain after the operation; they tried to adjust the drainage tube several times, but were unsuccessful, so a shunt was inserted during a further operation.

As soon as her condition allowed after the operation, treatment began. This involved 30 sessions of radiotherapy, which lasted for six weeks; alongside this, she also received intravenous chemotherapy once a week.

In the meantime, we went to the hospital very often; my husband drove us there because Anna cannot travel on public transport. His job was made redundant in the meantime, and he became a casual worker. He can only work when we don’t have to go to the hospital. While we are in hospital with Anna, he looks after and cares for our other two children.

I have also lost my job because I am in hospital with my child, who requires constant care, so I am currently receiving care allowance.

Anna had her fifth round of chemotherapy on 12 January 2026; she was finding it increasingly difficult to cope. She is scheduled for eight rounds of chemotherapy, but she has already lost a lot of weight! 

We had a check-up on 5 February 2026 and Anna’s condition had worsened; she needed a blood transfusion. We went back to the hospital the next day so she could receive the blood; for the past 2–3 weeks she has been receiving the cell-boosting treatment almost every day!

Anna’s hair has fallen out again; her results are currently good, so she is receiving chemotherapy!

We have found ourselves in a very difficult situation, as our income has decreased whilst our expenses have increased. According to the doctors, her treatment will last for about a year, so we are going through a very difficult period. We live in council housing and are currently just about managing to get by, so I would like to ask for your help to support Anna’s recovery during this difficult time!(