Doctors dismissed three-year-old girl’s bedtime screaming as ‘night terrors’ before devastating diagnosis
A THREE-year-old girl who repeatedly woke up screaming in pain was later diagnosed with cancer.
But doctors allegedly brushed her frightening symptoms off as night terrors for months.
Madeleine Cooper’s parents were eventually told she had a stage 4 cancerous germ cell tumour, meaning the disease had spread to other parts of her body.
Her mum Emma and dad Scott described receiving the news as “the worst moment of our lives”.
Madeleine first started to wake up during the night in July 2019, aged three.
She would scream loudly and complain of pain in her bottom, which her GP put down to falling off her bike.
Three separate trips to the doctor resulted in the same advice – Madeleine was simply having night terrors (terrifying awakenings) and the bruise on her behind was “nothing to worry about”.
But by November that year, the youngster was seriously unwell and she was rushed to A&E.
Emma, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, recalled how hospital staff told her there was “no immediate threat to life” so they were sent home.
The next day, Madeleine had an ultrasound at the Royal Stoke University Hospital which revealed a grapefruit-sized tumour.
“We were utterly devastated and our minds went into overdrive,” Emma told StokeonTrentLive.
“At this point it hadn’t been confirmed as cancer – we weren’t given that news until a few days later.
“It was the worst weekend of our lives.”
When they were told that the mass was indeed cancerous just weeks after Madeleine’s fourth birthday, their lives started to spiral.
“We were shocked and paralysed with fear hearing this news, and the array of emotions and questions we had were overwhelming,” Emma told Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group’s Contact magazine.
“We asked ourselves if we’d ever see our daughter grow up, attend school or even compete in gymnastics competitions.”
Madeleine immediately began six cycles of chemotherapy, which made her “very poorly” and lose her hair.
Then, in May 2020, she had an operation to remove the tumour at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Emma, also mum to Eddie, 19, Louise, 17, and Heidi, 13, said: “I remember crying in the toilet thinking I might never see her again.
“But the operation was a huge success. The tumour had died and the cancer, which had spread to her lungs, had disappeared.”
Thankfully, Madeleine, now eight, is in remission and loves gymnastics, figure skating and playing the piano.
She recently appeared on stage alongside Girls Aloud star Nicola Roberts and received a Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People Star Award for her bravery, as well as a TK Maxx voucher and a t-shirt signed by kids TV favourite Mister Maker.
Paula Young, from CRUK, said: “Madeleine is a real star who has been through so much at such a young age.
“It has been an absolute privilege to be able to celebrate her courage with a Star Award.”
What are germ cell tumours?
GERM cell tumours develop in the cells that form sperm and eggs.
They usually occur in the ovary or testicle, but they can sometimes be left behind in other parts of the body from when in the womb.
Some tumours are cancerous (malignant), while others are benign.
They can appear at any age, and the symptoms depend on where the tumour develops.
It usually starts with a lump that either be felt or causes other symptoms, and will be classified by a stage.
- Stage 1 – the cancer is small, has not spread and has been completely removed
- Stages 2 and 3 – the cancer is larger and may not have been completely removed, or may have spread to nearby organs
- Stage 4 – the cancer has spread to other parts of the body
Treatment depends on the type and location of tumour, but the main treatments are surgery and chemotherapy.
Most children who develop germ cell tumours will be cured.
Source: Cancer Research UK and the NHS