Brave Lytham St Annes High School pupil, 15, from Blackpool diagnosed with rare brain tumour

A brave Blackpool teenager is battling a rare form of brain tumour a year on from it being discovered at a routine visit to an optician.

After swelling of the nerves was detected in both her eyes, Bethany Haytack was referred to Blackpool Victoria Hospital for scans and in February came the diagnosis of a Choroid Plexus Papilloma Tumour, which affects on just one person in 100,000.

It's generally slow growing and often not cancerous but the cancerous versions is most often found in babies. It grows in the choroid plexus, a layer of tissue within the brain that makes the cerebrospinal fluid, which surrounds and cushions the brain and spinal cord.

Bethany, 15, who lives in South Shore with mum Claire, dad Lee and 13-year-old sister Abi, underwent surgery at the Manchester Royal Children’s Hospital and much of the tumour was removed but part of it was too near her brain stem to be dealt with in similar fashion and she has since undergone six rounds of chemotherapy.

That shrank the tumour but has failed to remove it and Bethany and her family are seeing her consultant on Saturday, December 23, to discover whether what remains is cancerous or not and what treatment might be required next, with proton beam therapy an option.

"It’s an anxious time of course and Beth has been very brave – a real inspiration,” said her mum Claire.

"She has shown all the emotions you would expect but she is determined to get through this and we are all very proud of her.

"“It was a shock when the optician visit revealed what it did, although she had been experiencing some headaches and vision problems before, and we are grateful for the care she has received since and for the support from her school and the charity Young Lives v Cancer.”

Bethany, who has suffered some problems since the diagnosis, such as deafness in one ear and some paralysis, has returned to classes at her school, Lytham St Annes High, part-time and last week was cheered by classmates as she took clippers to one of her teachers, Oliver Greenwood of the English department, as he ‘braved the shave’ in aid of Young Lives v Cancer to show his support.

"Bethany is a wonderful girl who really enjoys her English lessons and we are all rooting for her,” said Mr Greenwood. “It’s a great charity and I thought it important to do what I can to support it and its marvellous efforts for young people.”

Young Lives vs Cancer is the operating name for "CLIC Sargent", which was formed in 2005. It supports people under 25 from diagnosis onwards and aims to help the whole family deal with the impact of cancer and its treatment and what follows.

The charity also undertakes research into the impact of cancer on children and young people and uses that evidence to raise awareness and seek to influence government and policy-makers, and those who provide public services across the UK.

Details are at www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk/