‘She’s scared’: Common kid’s virus leads to brain tumour diagnosis for Eve Robertson

Three-year-old Eve Robertson was hallucinating rainbows and stars on the ceiling of her hospital bed after a common virus lead to a devastating diagnosis.

Three-year-old Eve Robertson with Amanda and sister Sara, suffered hand, foot and mouth disease but when it didn't get better, doctors discovered she had a brain tumour. Picture: Supplied by family

Little Eve Robertson would see rainbows and stars on the ceiling of her hospital room – sometimes she’d even see a man walking down the corridor that was never there.

The hallucinations were a symptom of the increasing spinal fluid flowing through the ventricles in her brain. But there is now some fun for Eve in hospital after she experienced the Starlight Children’s Foundation’s Starlight room.

The hallucinations were a condition her mum Amanda Robertson discovered after her then-three-year-old contracted hand, foot and mouth disease at her third birthday party.

It wasn’t all the now-five-year-old developed after contracting the common children’s virus. Eve also has a brain tumour. “She has a pituitary tumour which is a benign tumour that sits on the pituitary gland,” said Ms Robertson, who lives in rural South Australia.

“Eve’s ventricles in her brain were so infected that they were the size of a 54-year-old’s – she now had hydrocephalus because it was left for so long.”

Eve has a pituitary tumour and hydrocephalus. Picture: Supplied by famil

Ms Robertson discovered her daughter had the tumour when she didn’t get better after contracting hand, foot and mouth disease. Picture: Supplied by family

When Eve contracted hand, foot and mouth disease, doctors told Ms Robertson, 37, it would take 12 months for her daughter to feel 100 per cent herself.

“I knew in my gut that there was something not right,” the mum of two said. “She’s falling asleep, she’s falling over, she’s not a typical three-year-old.”

“I knew something in my gut that there was something not right,” Ms Robertson said. Picture: Supplied by family

Eve went on to have a lumbar puncture and surgery. Picture: Supplied by family

Ms Robertson took her youngest daughter to four GPs before a doctor finally believed something might be wrong with the toddler.

They ordered an MRI that revealed the devastating news.

A months after the diagnosis, Eve underwent a lumbar puncture and a few months later she had surgery to drain the fluid in her ventricles.

Eve hallucinated rainbows and stars on her hospital room ceiling prior to her surgery. Picture: Supplied by family

Prior to her surgery Eve would be disorientated and fall asleep constantly. Picture: Supplied by family

Before surgery, Eve suffered a range of heartbreaking symptoms such as hallucinations and disorientation. “She was falling over a lot more, she was sleeping even, having a shower was just too much,” Ms Robertson said.

Following the surgery, the symptoms eased and Eve has been attending the Women’s and Children’s Hospital for check-ups. “Post-surgery, it was really hard to get Eve ready for her appointments because she was scared,” Ms Robertson said. “Once we discovered the Starlight room, it’s not just about going to the hospital.

Eve is scared to go to hospital but the Starlight room makes the trips more fun. Picture: Supplied by family

The Starlight Foundation is conducting the Super Swim Challenge in February. Picture: Supplied by family

“She would get excited because she thought that if she was going to the hospital it was also a trip to the Starlight room … it’s a place they can have fun and be themselves.”

The foundation, which helps “sick kids be kids”, is encouraging the public to jump in the water to raise vital funds. Commit to swimming a distance and raise money this month for the Super Swim Challenge.

For more info, go to: starlight.org.au