Community rallies around Katherine toddler Zahli Rose Brown after brain tumour diagnosis
A ‘happy, bright and cheerful’ toddler has been flown interstate for brain surgery after a routine check-up ended in a horror find. Now her mum wants to raise awareness of the symptoms most parents overlook.
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A Northern Territory toddler will likely undergo open brain surgery as doctors search for answers after discovering a large brain tumour just days after her first birthday.
Zahli Rose Brown, a “bright, cheerful little baby” was taken for her routine 12-month immunisations and check up when a nurse at the local Katherine clinic noticed something odd.
While her body was average size for her age, Zahli’s head was in the 97th percentile.
She was flown to Darwin for tests and an MRI on Friday revealed a growth the size of a lemon at the back of her head.
Zahli, along with her mum Briahna Ashford and dad Matthew Brown, was quickly transferred to Brisbane, where her medical team plan to perform open brain surgery on Tuesday.
“At the moment they can’t tell us much because they don’t know much – we don’t know if it’s cancer or not cancer, whether it’s deadly or not deadly,” Ms Ashford said.
Amid the agonising wait, Ms Ashford wants to raise awareness of the symptoms most parents pass off as a normal fussy baby.
“It’s scary because looking back there were signs, but they’re hard to pick up on because it’s just normal baby stuff: being fussy with food, irritability, clinginess, throwing up,” she said.
“She had a seizure on Sunday night – eyes looking up and mouth smacking – and I realised I had seen her do this before.”
It was around nine months old when Ms Ashford noticed a change in her baby.
“She was a very happy, bright, cheerful little baby, always smiling and wanting attention and cuddles,” she said.
“She loved anyone and everyone, loved going to her grandparents, but about then (nine months) she started wanting mum only, she became really clingy.
“The doctors have told me that’s a common symptom – babies can’t speak and tell you their head hurts.”
A GoFundMe was organised by Zahli’s aunt, Tahlia Ashford, to help cover Zahli’s medical bills and the cost of staying in Brisbane for treatment, raising more than $2250 in three days.
On Facebook, dad Mr Brown thanked loved ones for their support following the “devastating news”.
“I thank everyone for your prayers and support in this long journey ahead of us,” he said.
Donate to the GoFundMe at gofund.me/7f898fc1
Originally published as Community rallies around Katherine toddler Zahli Rose Brown after brain tumour diagnosis
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