‘Support is there': York father speaks out after daughter diagnosed with brain tumour
The news felt like 'being punched in the stomach', says Richard, from Strensall.
Sophia, now 12, is back at school and looking ahead to her teen years, having undergone a 13-hour operation, radio therapy and four rounds of high dose chemotherapy to remove the brain tumour.
Alarm bells sounded when she 'wasn't herself' for months before her diagnosis in November 2022, suffering from regular headaches and migraines, Richard says.
She saw a paediatrician who recommended an MRI scan as a precaution.
But a day after the scan, the family was told to take her to Leeds General Infirmary for more checks.
Richard, 45, who works for Lloyds Bank in Leeds, admits that the journey to hospital was terrifying but says: 'We, really, just had to do it.'
Sophia was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and the next day underwent the 13-hour surgery to remove about 60 per cent of it.
The family continued to navigate the developments, Richard says. 'You kind of go into battle, I guess.'
Sophia remained in hospital for a week to recover from surgery.
Initially, Richard says, Sophia was thought to have a stage three brain tumour, but it was confirmed as being stage four – the highest grade – the following January.
'You're thinking, well, at least it's not stage four, it's not the worst it could be. And then it was,' Richard says.
Sophia then had proton treatment – a high-energy beam that precisely targets brain tumour cells – for six weeks in Manchester.
'Ultimately, we were told that it did an amazing job,' Richard says, adding that doctors told him 'it worked so much better than normal'.
The four rounds of chemotherapy followed which killed 'bad' cancerous cells but 'good ones as well', meaning Sophia had to have further treatment in hospital, Richard says.
Sophia finished chemotherapy at the end of August 2023 and has had no treatment since.
She has returned to her studies at Huntington School and must have a scan every six months to monitor if the tumour has regrown.
Richard says Sophia has been told these twice a year scans will continue for the next five years, unless anything changes, then be relaxed slightly.
But her being back home with the family is a relief, Richard says. 'She's pretty good. She's eating much better. She gets very annoyed about things, and we can't decide whether it's the treatment or being a near teenager.'
'It's been quite profound': new support for York dads of children with brain tumours
Richard admits it was daunting when Sophia was diagnosed with the brain tumour.
'You wouldn't be expected to have a clue how to deal with it,' he says. 'You're making decisions on the hop without really knowing.
'The doctors know what they're doing much better than what I do. It's just taking notice of what they say.'
He praised OSCAR's Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity which supported him, along with his wife, Sarah, and seven-year-old son, James, throughout Sophia's treatment.
The York-based charity supports children and families affected by childhood brain tumours at each point of the process.
'They are there if they're needed, as just a shoulder to cry on,' Richard says.
He got to know Phil Martinez, OSCAR's charity manager, 'quite well' during Sophia's treatment. 'If I were to ring him and say, I just need a chat. He'd find time to do that.'
OSCAR's has now partnered with Menfulness to support men whose children or family members have been diagnosed with a brain tumour with their mental health.
'The whole thing is indescribable, really. I think it's really good that the support is there,' Richard says of the partnership.
For more information, and to access the support, visit oscarscharity.org/menfulness/
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