Dean's story
After several months of illness, seven year old Dean was diagnosed with a very a rare and complex brain tumour…
In August 2020, at just seven years old, Dean started showing signs of early puberty. Concerned, his mum pushed for a referral to investigate why this was happening so young.
A few months later, in November 2020, Dean had an urgent operation, which went well. The doctors assured his family that he was perfectly healthy. But by December, the headaches returned. Thinking it might be due to not wearing his glasses enough, his parents encouraged him to wear them all the time, and he said it helped—a little.
Then, in January 2021, Dean was sick all day. His parents assumed it was just a 24-hour bug. But when he was still being sick two days later, his mum took him to their local hospital. After explaining his symptoms, doctors decided to admit him for further observation and requested an MRI scan to check for any underlying issues.
The wait for the results felt endless until, eventually, the doctors asked to speak to Dean’s mum in private.
“I immediately knew something was wrong,” she says.
Sitting her down, the doctors delivered the devastating news – Dean had a mass on his brain.
Diagnosis & Treatment
That night, Dean was transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital, where the doctors planned a biopsy to determine the type of tumour, as well as a procedure to drain excess fluid from his brain. Then he underwent surgery.
The following day, his family received the official diagnosis: intracranial non-germinomatous germ cell tumour, pineal tumour, Parinaud’s ophthalmoplegia, and central precocious puberty—a rare and complex brain tumour. Their world came crashing down.
Dean’s treatment plan was gruelling. He needed four rounds of chemotherapy, including one high-dose chemotherapy treatment, which meant spending six weeks in hospital. Before this, he had to undergo a stem cell harvest, allowing doctors to return his healthy cells after the high-dose treatment.
Then came his 18-hour brain surgery to remove the tumour.
Setbacks & Strength
After one round of radiotherapy, Dean started experiencing headaches again. Fearing the tumour had returned, his parents were relieved to find out it was fluid buildup instead. However, this meant yet another surgery—to insert a VP shunt to drain the excess fluid from his brain.
Then, just as things seemed to settle, Dean developed sepsis. He was put on three different antibiotics and endured another three-week hospital stay. The source of the infection was his Hickman line, which had to be surgically removed. Just a day later, the headaches returned, and another CT scan revealed more fluid buildup – leading to yet another brain surgery.
Finally, in September 2021, Dean completed his treatment. Four days later, his family took him on a much-needed holiday to Clacton-on-Sea. But just three days into the trip, Dean became extremely tired and unable to support his own weight.
His parents rushed him to Colchester Hospital, where a CT scan confirmed yet another fluid buildup. He was blue-lighted back to Great Ormond Street Hospital for another emergency brain surgery.
A Tough but Hopeful Recovery
Since then, Dean has shown incredible resilience. His strength, bravery, and determination through every setback have been nothing short of inspiring.
“He’s been through so much, but he keeps fighting,” says his mum. “His spirit is unbreakable.”
How Lennox Children’s Cancer Fund Helped
Throughout Dean’s journey, Lennox Children’s Cancer Fund has been a lifeline for his family.
“Just having someone to talk to and cry with at their SOS meetings, the respite holidays, and the endless kindness they’ve shown us—it has meant everything,” his mum says.
“I always say that Lennox Children’s Cancer Fund has helped us so much, and we love them all to bits. You don’t realise how much you mean to us.”
How You Can Help
Dean’s story is just one of many. Lennox Children’s Cancer Fund relies on donations and fundraising to continue supporting families through childhood cancer.
With your help, we can ensure that no family faces this journey alone.