12/03/2026
March is Brain Tumour Awareness Month.
It’s time to raise awareness of the symptoms of brain tumours and highlight just how important early diagnosis can be.
Brain tumours can affect anyone, including young children, and the symptoms can often look like common illness. That’s why awareness – and trusting your instincts – is so important.
For one of our colleagues acuity care, this message is very personal.
Laura and her husband George are parents to Harper, who was just two years old, when their world changed on 11th August 2025.
Harper had been unwell with symptoms like tonsillitis and an ear infection. She also had nausea and vomiting, was much more tired than usual, experienced extreme loss of appetite, and had become unsteady on her feet.
After Harper started having problems with her vision, which looked like a lazy eye. Laura and George decided to take her to the optician for an eye test, which is free to children under 16 years of age.
During the examination, the optometrist immediately spotted pressure behind Harper’s eyes and told them Harper needed to go straight to hospital.
Following a CT scan which confirmed a mass on the brain, Harper was transferred via ambulance to Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital and Charity where she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. 2 days later, Harper underwent a full day of surgery to remove the tumour.
1 week on, Laura & George received the devastating news that Harper had been diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a fast growing, cancerous brain tumour and on the 29th August 2025 Harper began chemotherapy treatment at Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital and Charity, which became their home until February 2026.
Today, Harper is back home with her family. Laura shares this message with other parents and families:
“Early action can save lives. Trust your instinct, and remember – you know your child best. I am so grateful to the opticians who saved Harper’s life due to an early diagnosis”.
During Brain Tumour Awareness Month, we encourage everyone to learn the symptoms, raise awareness, and support families affected by brain tumours.
Because early diagnosis can save lives.
And remember:
Eye tests for children in the UK are FREE.
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