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Girl, 14, with 'stomach bug' could 'only have months left to live'

Annabell Robinson began feeling unwell in June, but it was initially put down to the hot weather

[Annabell Robinson with James MacLeod in hospital]

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Annabell with James in hospital(Image: James Macleod/SWNS)

A teen whose headaches and vomiting were put down to a stomach bug and the heatwave has been diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer.

Annabell Robinson, 14, began feeling unwell in June, but her parents initially dismissed it as they thought she might have been suffering in the hot weather or had the same bug as her siblings. On June 15, mum Leah Robinson, 40, had a phone call consultation with a GP, who advised an eye test and reduced screen time. The following week, Annabell developed double vision and her right eye began to visibly turn in.

After being rushed to A&E at Kettering General Hospital, CT and MRI scans revealed a five-centimetre tumour in the centre of Annabells brain. She was transferred to Oxford University Hospital for Children the next day, where she underwent a tissue biopsy and had a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt fitted to drain fluid build-up and reduce pressure on her brain.

On July 2, doctors confirmed she had diffuse midline glioma (DMG), a rare, aggressive and incurable type of brain tumour. The following week Annabell contracted an E. Coli meningitis infection linked to her VP shunt, which was replaced with an external ventricular drain (EVD) to continue relieving fluid build-up and pressure.

[Annabell Robinson in hospital]

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Annabell fell ill in June(Image: James Macleod/SWNS)

Now, doctors are waiting for Annabell to recover from the second VP shunt surgery and for the meningitis infection to clear before transferring her to University College London Hospital. There she will receive 30 sessions of targeted radiotherapy every working day for six weeks.

Dad James MacLeod, 37, an asbestos surveyor, from Corby, Northamptonshire, said: "This is all three weeks, you can see how quickly things progressed. From my perspective, I generally thought it was a bit of hot weather and maybe she needed glasses.

Leah rang me and I was in the middle of Liverpool and she told me that Annabell had a five-centimetre tumour. Everything just seemed to stop.

I fell to the floor and I couldn't believe it. We drove straight from Liverpool to Oxford.

And I've been here ever since. It has just happened so fast.

[Annabell Robinson in hospital]

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Annabell in hospital(Image: James Macleod/SWNS)

The average DMG prognosis the family was given is nine to 12 months, but they remain hopeful Annabell will respond well to the palliative radiotherapy treatment. Annabell took three days to wake up from her biopsy surgery and lost the ability to speak normally and move freely. Due to Annabell not being able to talk, her parents have made the decision to not tell her the extent of her prognosis until she has transferred hospitals and will see the cancer ward.

Because she can't talk we don't want to tell her and her not being able to communicate with us about it and sit there and worry and cry or be sad or frightened," James told Talk to the Press. Annabell's the kind of person that would protect mine and mum's hearts, even if she wasnt able to understand.

[Annabell Robinson with James MacLeod]

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Annabell with James(Image: James Macleod/SWNS)

We've heard her voice now and she will talk, but not on cue or in front of people. She'll do it when somebody voice notes her on Snapchat, or if I was to ring her phone, she'll answer it and we'll have a conversation.

"So that's how Annabell was progressing. When she sent me a voice note on Snapchat saying that she loved me, it absolutely broke my heart.

Mum Leah only asked one question when she heard the news: how long did Annabell have left? James recalled the oncologist had given her a few months. Targeted radiotherapy after the infection has cleared is Annabells only chance of slowing the tumour and easing symptoms.

James said: The type of tumour it is, it weaves through the cells of the brain, like roots in the soil. And that then makes it really complex to try and remove.

But also, because of where it's positioned, if they were to even try to remove that, Annabell wouldn't live. She would, as the doctor said, die on the table.

[Annabell Robinson with Leah Robinson]

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Annabell with Leah(Image: James Macleod/SWNS)

Before becoming ill, James remembered Annabell was "a very happy, chilled, healthy child". James hopes sharing her story encourages parents to seek medical advice if headaches, vomiting or vision changes persist.

I just want families and parents to be a little bit more aware," he said. Take persistent headaches or visions or vomiting a little bit more seriously and push and push.

Don't feel like you can be hard off with different reasonings. We just want to try and spread awareness.

Annabell is definitely fighting strong. She's definitely a fighter, she hasn't given up yet.

People wishing to support Annabell can donate via her JustGiving page.

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