Girl Makes ‘Miracle’ Recovery Tumour the Size of Rugby Ball Removed
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October 5, 2011 TheFreshOutlook  |
12-year-old Lucy Betts, who had a rugby ball-sized tumour removed from her chest in March, has made a ‘miracle’ recovery.
The surgical team at East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre at Glendield Hospital in Leicester spent hours removing 12-year-old Lucy Betts’ tumour which was crushing her left lung against her heart.
Her mother, Carmen, said: “The tumour was absolutely enormous. It was literally the size of a human head and looked like a rugby ball.”
Lucy began suffering from breathing problems last autumn. Doctors suspected that she had asthma and gave her an inhaler but her condition worsened.
An X-ray and CT scan revealed a tumour buried deep inside her lung.
Lucy was diagnosed with Ganglioneuroblastoma, which is a rare cancer amongst children that attacks the nerve tissue. One in 10,000 children in Britain are affected yearly.
During the surgery, the doctors took out two ribs and peeled back the chest cavity in order to remove the three-pound tumor.
However, the team came across an additional four-inch tumour in Lucy’s spine, which they are unable to remove until her body develops.
Her mother explained: “The second tumor is very close to her spinal cord and removing it could mean she loses the use of her legs.”
Since her operation, Lucy has managed to raise £672 for the Children and Young Persons Cancer Unit at the Leicester Royal Infirmary.
She said: “I just want to say thank you to the doctors who operated on me. I want to get on with my life and do normal things. I want to be a paramedic when I’m older so I can help other people.”
By Davina Qureshi
[Image courtesy of Best in Plastics]
