A TEENAGE boy was diagnosed with a brain tumour after months of being misdiagnosed with mental health conditions - and told to 'stop using his phone'. Oscar Fairs, 14, suddenly started suffering with regular panic attacks, severe headaches , voices in his head and heart palpitations . For eight months his family were told his symptoms were mental-health-related and referred him to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
Oscar, who plays for West Ham 's U14s team, had counselling but things only got worse. Having "had enough", his mum Natalie, 40, demanded answers. Oscar was seen by a GP who, to Natalie's shock, said he had a migraine and needed "putting in a dark room for four days without his phone", she said.
Stunned, Natalie took Oscar home but five days later she took him to A&E and an MRI scan eventually diagnosed Oscar with a 7cm brain tumour. Doctors reckoned Oscar's tumour could have been growing in his brain for up to two years. Despite being given a bleak prognosis and told to prepare for palliative care, Oscar's tumour shrunk through chemotherapy and radiotherapy and he's now part of a clinical trial.
But doctors fear the lumps may become resistant to treatment. Natalie, an emotional literacy support assistant from Benfleet, Essex, said: "I believe every child up to a certain age should be given a mandatory MRI scan to save more lives. "I believe someone is accountable for the eight months beforehand where Oscar's tumour was diagnosed as mental health .
