NEED TO KNOW
- Nine-year-old Spencer Helliwell was diagnosed with brain cancer in March 2024
- Spencer’s mom Char Humphries had taken her son to the opticians twice after he developed a lazy eye, before they were referred to the hospital
- Following her son’s diagnosis, Humphries is urging parents to “trust their gut” and get their children checked out if something doesn’t feel right, per the BBC
The mother of a 9-year-old boy diagnosed with brain cancer is telling parents “to trust your gut” when it comes to getting their children checked out.
Spencer Helliwell from Swindon, England, was diagnosed with medulloblastoma in March 2024 after developing a lazy eye and symptoms including dribbling and headaches, his mother Char Humphries told the BBC.
“We were told if we hadn’t gone to the hospital when we did, he wouldn’t have lived much longer,” Humphries told the outlet in an interview for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Humphries initially took Spencer to the opticians for his lazy eye before he was referred to the hospital and eventually received his cancer diagnosis, she told Brain Tumour Research.
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“At first, I assumed it was something minor, I had a lazy eye as a child too, so we visited the optician twice, but nothing concerning was found,” Humphries said. “As Spencer’s symptoms persisted, I took him back for a follow-up, and this time the optician, concerned about the ongoing headaches, referred us to Great Western Hospital in Swindon. At that stage, they suspected he might need laser surgery.”
During his appointment at the hospital, Spencer had a scan on his eye and some tests. “Then, everything changed,” his mom said, going on to share how the hospital called her to say they had found a shadow on Spencer’s eye and they needed to return to the hospital “urgently” so he could undergo a CT scan and various other tests.
Spencer Helliwell in the hospital.
Char Humphries
“My stomach dropped,” Humphries said of receiving the call and returning to the hospital. “…That’s when the doctor told me Spencer had a very large brain tumor.”
“Telling Spencer was heartbreaking, I don’t think he really understood. He kept saying he had a brain tumour, as if trying to make sense of it,” she continued, adding that she “broke down” when she heard the news and “thought my little boy was going to die.”
According to Cancer Research U.K., medulloblastoma is the second most common type of brain cancer in children, with around 52 children diagnosed each year in the U.K. This type of tumor is rare in adults.
Spencer underwent two surgeries, which lasted a combined 23 hours, and had proton beam therapy and nine months of chemotherapy. The treatment, while successful, left him with damage on the right side of his body and him needing a wheelchair and eyepatch, per the BBC.
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Spencer Helliwell in the hospital.
Char Humphries
Following his treatment, Spencer has since returned to school. “Seeing Spencer walk through those school gates again was emotional. I didn’t think we’d ever get to this point,” Humphries told the BBC.
The proud mom described her son’s recovery as a “miracle” and now urges parents to have their children checked if they feel something isn’t right.
“Push for answers. It could save your child’s life,” Humphries continued. “if we hadn’t pressed for an appointment for Spencer, he would not be here today. Too many parents are still in the dark.”
“I want to say this loud and clear — trust your gut,” she added.
Letty Greenfield, community fundraising manager at Brain Tumour Research, told the BBC, “Spencer’s story highlights both the bravery of young patients and the urgent need for better funding into childhood brain tumors. Just 1% of the national spend on cancer research is allocated to brain tumors. That must change.”
