A Scots mum who noticed her young son’s eyes were ‘wobbly and squinting’ was terrified to discover he had a brain tumour.
Jenna Jones sought help from medics when little Sebastian was only 15-months-old after becoming concerned about his vision in 2015.
The 39-year-old admits her head filled with “worst-case scenarios” after an MRI scan at the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital revealed a small mass on his brain.
Follow up tests in January the following year found that Sebastian’s tumour had ‘grown substantially’ with a biopsy revealing it was an optic nerve glioma.
Inverurie Academy teacher Jenna, who also has daughter Sophia, three, said: “I was filled with terror and fear, and the worst-case scenarios were going around my head.
“My husband, Adam, and I didn’t know anything about brain tumours, so we were faced with lots of unknowns.
“Fortunately, the hospital staff really reassured us and gave us lots of useful information.”
After undergoing 18 months of chemotherapy, the Aberdeenshire youngster responded well to his treatment but it proved an emotional time for his family.
Jenna explained: “It is horrendous as a parent to watch your child going through this and you wish so often that you could take it away.
“However, despite losing his hair, being sick, and losing his appetite, Sebastian responded really well to the treatment.”
Sadly, Sebastian was rushed back to hospital in 2017 after a mass of fluid, which had grown from the tumour, began putting pressure on his brain.
Medics were forced to insert a drain to get rid of the fluid but were also able to remove 80 per cent of the mass which they originally did not think was possible.
Mum-of-two Jenna praised her now seven-year-old son who is “lively, funny and full of energy” despite his ordeal and is now raising money for brain tumour research.
She added: “It was amazing because the surgeons had always said that they wouldn’t be able to do that. “A huge weight had been lifted.
“We feel so lucky because Sebastian today is just like a normal seven-year-old. “He is lively, funny, and full of energy. He does Taekwondo and plays the piano. He’s just fabulous.
“I’m doing the star jumps challenge to raise money for Brain Tumour Research because research is so important in order for progress to happen.
“Without research, our story and that of many other families would be very different.
“Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet historically just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.
“More money needs to go towards researching brain tumours, so I want to play my part by doing this challenge.”
Matthew Price, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “It’s fantastic to have Jenna on board for this exciting new challenge, it’s really inspiring.
“Sebastian’s story reminds us that brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone, at any time.
“We are so pleased to hear that he is doing well after going through such an ordeal at a young age. We wish him all the best for the future.”
To donate to Jenna’s fundraising efforts, which will see her do 100 star jumps a day in November, click here.
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