Ipswich mother reflects on life-changing diagnosis for Brain Tumour Awareness Month

Now 17, Camille’s life has been shaped by that journey, the uncertainty, and the support of Tom’s Trust.

The diagnosis that changed everything

Hayley remembers the moment with great clarity.

“When we were first told that there was a large mass in Camille’s brain, it just changed our lives forever,” she says. “Nobody even mentioned the word ‘cancer’. At first, I thought, ‘Oh, that’s fine, we’ll get it removed,’ but then slowly the reality sunk in.”

That reality meant two years of gruelling treatment—high-dose chemotherapy, three brain surgeries, and aggressive radiotherapy. But the impact wasn’t just physical. Camille struggled with severe anxiety, finding it difficult to trust anyone outside her family, and hospital visits became a source of deep distress.

“She was just a baby,” Hayley recalls. “She couldn’t process why this was happening to her, but she felt it. The fear, the pain, the disruption to her life—it all had a lasting effect.”

A lifeline in Tom’s Trust

At the time of Camille’s diagnosis, psychological support for families going through childhood cancer was almost non-existent.

That’s when Tom’s Trust stepped in.

The charity provided dedicated mental health support to Camille and her family, helping her cope with medical procedures and navigate the long-term emotional effects of her illness. Their clinical psychologists worked closely with Camille, using cognitive behavioural therapy to help her process trauma, while also supporting Hayley through the emotional rollercoaster of having a seriously ill child.

“The support from Tom’s Trust has been outstanding,” says Hayley. “Even now, 16 years later, we know we can pick up the phone, and they’ll be there to help. Having that continuity means everything.”

Ipswich families need this support

Every year, around 500 children in the UK are diagnosed with a brain tumour, and the reality is that many families in Ipswich and Suffolk will face the same fears and uncertainties that Hayley did. Brain tumours remain the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children and young adults, and many survivors live with lifelong challenges. Without charities like Tom’s Trust, these families would have to navigate their child’s diagnosis alone.

“You never expect this to happen to your child,” says Hayley. “But when it does, you need all the support you can get. I don’t know where we’d be without Tom’s Trust.”

How you can help

Brain Tumour Awareness Month is not just about remembering the hardships—it’s about ensuring that no family has to go through this alone.

Tom’s Trust continues to support children in Ipswich and across the UK, providing life-changing mental health care when families need it most. To learn more or support their work, visit www.tomstrust.org.uk.

For families in Ipswich and beyond, this support is vital. And as Hayley says, “When it feels like everything is falling apart, having someone to turn to makes all the difference.”