A fundraiser has been launched as a 10-year-old girl from the county currently battles her second brain tumour.
Elsie Pyner, from Newport Pagnell near Milton Keynes, was diagnosed with a grade 4 medulloblastoma in March 2015 at the age of two.
Following intensive chemotherapy and numerous surgeries to remove the cancer, it would be discovered that she had another brain tumour following a routine MRI scan in March 2020.
Now being monitored with six-monthly scans, Elsie’s ordeal has inspired her aunt, Lindsey McCluskie, to take part in the Brain Tumour Research charity’s 100 Squats or Star Jumps a day in November Challenge.
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The 48-year-old, from Buckingham, will be joined by seven of her colleagues from Display Creatives UK Ltd, including project managers, designers, its business development manager and a co-owner.
She said: “Your life changes forever after a brain tumour diagnosis as you don’t think something like that will ever happen to your family.
“I watched my sister’s world come crashing down and saw her somehow find the strength to carry on because she has another daughter too, who was six when Elsie was first diagnosed.
“It’s horrible to watch what they’re going through and know you can’t fix it.
“We hold our breath and pray every time Elsie has a scan.
“She’s the baby of the family so it’s really tough.
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“She suffered lots of side-effects from her first operation and has her everyday struggles but just gets on with it.
“She’s our little warrior, our miracle, and a very cheeky little girl.”
After the initial diagnosis in March 2015, the youngster underwent emergency brain surgery, during which she suffered a large haemorrhage.
As a result, she developed posterior fossa syndrome, a condition that can cause changes in speech, movement, emotions and behaviour.
Additionally, she also developed selective mutism, a severe anxiety disorder which makes her unable to speak in certain social situations, and a processing delay, before another tumour was found in 2020.
Initially thought to be a relapse of Elsie’s cancerous medulloblastoma, her parents were told to prepare for life-prolonging rather than life-saving treatment.
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Elsie underwent two further surgeries before it was discovered that her second tumour was entirely unrelated to the first, a low-grade juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma (JPA).
Her sister and Elsie’s mum, Kate Pyner said: “I think what Lindsey’s doing is incredible.
“ It’s her way of feeling like she’s doing something for us and everybody else affected whilst raising much-needed awareness of brain tumours.”
The family aim to raise £500 for the Brain Tumour Research charity, with £445 being donated so far.
To give to the cause, visit, www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Lindsey-Mccluskie.
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