For 8 months doctors dismissed my son’s heart palpitations as anxiety – now they say it’s too late to save him

THE mum of a teenage footballer is asking for “everybody and everyone” to save her son’s life after he received a devastating diagnosis of a life-limiting disease.

Oscar Fairs, 14, was diagnosed with an ependymoma brain tumour in August 2023 and has undergone over seven surgeries to remove the cancerous lump. 

Just eight months before his diagnosis, his family were told his symptoms were mental-health related, and he was referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). 

He had been experiencing heart palpitations, right-sided weakness, headaches and sickness.

Oscar, who plays for West Ham’s U14s team, had counselling, but things only got worse. 

His mum, Natalie, 41, a literacy support assistant from Benfleet, Essex, “had enough” and 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”. 

Shortly after, Natalie demanded an MRI scan, and Oscar was diagnosed with a 7cm brain tumour. 

She 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 right months beforehand when Oscar’s tumour was diagnosed as mental health and migraines.

“I gave them five or six symptoms in May 2023 and yet they still didn’t give us a scan. 

“The doctor who finally took him to his unit was speechless when I told him it had been eight months before we were finally seen for a brain MRI. 

“They reckon the tumour could have been in his head for two years before that.”

Natalie said she has to be grateful for the NHS, for the chemo and radiotherapy, surgeons and paediatric oncologists and radiologists that have helped with his treatment - although it hurts her that it took eight months to get a diagnosis. 

Unfortunately, Oscar’s treatment journey hasn’t ended, and Natalie is looking to raise the funds needed to help save his life.  

Oscar has most recently been undergoing chemotherapy and radiation as part of a SIOP (International Society of Paediatric Oncology) clinical trial that started in January.

I need to save our son’s life - our country has given up

Natalie FairsOscar's mum

This involved four months of chemotherapy through an imported pic line into his heart, followed by six weeks of radiotherapy. 

But tragically, Oscar’s trial failed after results showed the cancerous cells had multiplied. 

Natalie claims surgeons will no longer operate on Oscar as the risk is too great. 

But desperate to save her son’s life, she’s not turned her attention to the medulloblastoma European multitarget metronomic antiangiogenic trial (MEMMAT) offered in France and Germany.

Oscar has been accepted onto one of the MEMMAT trials in Lile set to begin in the next few weeks.

But for £70,000, Natalie is looking to raise the money. 

Trails are available in the US, but Natalie claims Oscar has been turned down as he’s not a US citizen. 

'So relieved'

Natalie said: “We’re so relieved that he’s got a trial. I reached out to 22 cities that hold this trial. 

“I’ve gone with the nearest to where we live as we need to put more money into saving Oscar’s life.

"We’ve been told the UK can only offer palliative care. 

“I need to save our son’s life - our country has given up. The UK has done everything they can but they won’t take the risk. 

“I need someone willing to be a superhero just like Oscar and work their magic to remove it. I couldn’t accept what they told me.”

Natalie has been in contact with companies in France, Germany, Switzerland and Spain offering the MEMMAT trial. 

She said: "The MEMMAT trial can potentially half the size of everything and then a surgeon can do whatever they can.

"He's now got a cancerous spread in the middle of his brain - it's on the outside, inside, different sides.

"It involves six forms of chemo - the first four are done orally and the last two are through a catheter into the brain.

"I need everybody and everyone to get on board with me here to save my son's life - it's going to cost over £70,000."