Mum thought son's headache wasn't serious until Specsavers visit saves his life

10 October 2023 , 08:41

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Archie had been unwell for around a year before the diagnosis was made (Image: Leionie Power)

A mother who had dismissed her son's headaches and constant fatigue as nothing serious has revealed how a trip to Specsavers helped 'save his life'.

Leionie Power, 33, from Hyde, Greater Manchester, first noticed a change in her son Archie's behaviour about a year ago when he began avoiding school and spending excessive hours in bed, constantly complaining of exhaustion. Archie had been experiencing severe headaches for the previous 12 months but Leionie did not initially find them alarming and thought it was down to hormonal changes, lack of sleep, and excessive screen time.

Doctors were unable to explain his symptoms until she took the 14-year-old for an eye test at Specsavers in August where opticians found a swelling of the optic nerves. The youngster was rushed to hospital where a CT scan found a large mass on his brain.

Archie's behaviour changed around a year before the truth was discovered (Leionie Power)

The scan which showed the mass on the teenager's brain (Leionie Power)

Leionie told Manchester Evening News: "It was sickening. My child is 14, and I'm 33 - all my life he has been my best friend. When you get that news as a mum, your brain jumps straight to asking is he going to have a future and a life?

"I noticed he had started with headaches here and there, but it was always something you could put down to something else. I'd tell him to drink more water or get off the computer or get an early night, as you do as a mum. He would have one, and then six weeks would go by. They weren't frequent enough to be concerned at first."

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"Then in the last year we noticed a change. He loves school, yet all of a sudden he had no time for it, he was disrespectful and we were getting called in a lot. I kept sitting down with him asking what was going on and he couldn't put his finger on it. He would want to sleep all the time and he was always saying he was tired and exhausted, I felt like I didn't have my same child anymore.

Archie is now home and recovering from the surgery (Leionie Power)

"The opticians kept asking him to keep his eyes straight. From that appointment, it was a whirlwind of everything that happened in such a short time. They said he had swelling of the optic nerves which can come from swelling on the brain. I was sent up to Stepping Hill and an ophthalmologist rechecked and confirmed the swelling of the nerves and said we needed to go for an emergency CT scan."

A scan revealed a large grade one tumour on Archie's brain. The family were referred to Royal Manchester Children's Hospital for an MRI scan with 14 year old Archie quickly undergoing surgery to remove it within a matter of days.

Leionie added: "I could tell there was dreadful news coming. It was awful. Then they said there was a large mass on his brain and they were concerned about it. We had an MRI the same night and they booked us in for brain surgery after the weekend. He had an 8cm tumour and another one inside of it.

"We are not yet out of the dark, he's been able to come home we are hoping he doesn't need any further surgery. We acknowledge our immense fortune in being able to take our child home and watch him grow up, experience life's joys, travel, find love one day, and eventually start a family of his own."

"We understand not everyone is as fortunate, as some individuals face irreversible damage, loss of life, or limited time. If it doesn't grow back, they have saved his life. We have noticed there is memory loss, but only time will tell what he will be able to do. What I would say is, don't avoid tiny warning signs. regardless of how insignificant they may seem. If Archie ever said anything to me now, I would put all my energy into making sure he's okay. As mums we are meant to know, we are meant to see it and know our children better than ourselves."

Archie has since undergone another treatment to drain fluid from his brain. He is now at home recovering and will spend the next five years being closely monitored for any new growths. The terrifying experience has prompted mum Leionie to raise important awareness about the everyday symptoms of brain tumours, encouraging parents to 'not avoid tiny warning signs'. After his treatment at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Leionie is now raising money for the neurology department. Donations can be made online here.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

James Holt