Courtney’s Story

“Courtney was born on 9th April 2003. From the moment she arrived, she always brought us such joy. She was so excited when her younger brother Tyler came along, and they have always been very close.

She was a very happy child and was a daddy’s girl!  She worked hard at school and did well in her GCSEs and ‘A’ Levels.  She wanted to be a lawyer to help people and would have been a phenomenal lawyer.

In December 2021, she started having severe headaches. She went to the GP and was referred to the opticians. They found a shadow and asked her to have it looked at. We had many trips to A&E until finally getting a scan. The scan showed she had a growth on her brain. It was treated with steroids, and the swelling was temporarily reduced, but more needed to be done as the tumour was putting pressure on her brain. She was at risk of going blind; she had surgery to elevate the pressure.  By February, life was returning to normal.

However, in March, she started to feel unwell and was admitted to the hospital for tests. She began losing her sight and was referred to the Royal Marsden to discuss her radiotherapy treatment.

By August, it looked like the tumour had shrunk, and she was returned to the chemo tablets. As the weeks passed, she started to feel much better; she saw the light at the end of the tunnel and started looking to the future.

After a routine check-up, she received a call that they had found tumour cells on the surface of her brain. She lost her appetite and was being sick every day.

On the 27th November, she was rushed into hospital and taken into intensive care.

On 3rd December 2022, Courtney passed away, aged just 19.

As a mother, I would have done anything to take my beautiful baby girl's pain away from her, I would have swapped places with her; I would have done anything.  I will continue to raise awareness about brain tumours and try to help others experiencing this in any way I can. Anyone I know or meet will know my beautiful baby girl's name.”