Subtle change in 11-year-old girl's eyes that was the first warning sign of a deadly brain tumour

A mum has revealed the worryingly subtle sign her 'sporty' 12-year-daughter had a deadly brain tumour. Amelie Williams, who lives near Wells in Somerset, noticed she had begun to struggle with her balance in early 2023 But it was only during a routine annual eye check up later that year in March that her optician noticed the then 11-year-old's eyes 'tremoring' and 'flickering' Wheelchair-bound for a year, thankfully Amelie is now in remission after chemotherapy and radiotherapy. After mum, Lydia, rushed to her the GP, Amelie was referred for urgent further tests in hospital which revealed she had a stage 4 medulloblastoma — one of the most common type of brain cancer in children Despite a successful 10-hour operation to remove the apricot-sized tumour, the surgery 'caused a shock' in her cerebellum — a vital component of the brain — leaving her temporarily unable to walk, talk or even move Mrs Williams said: 'She wasn't able to talk, she wasn't able to move, she didn't open her eyes for the first 24 hours — she was breathing on her own, that was about it. Although the treatment felt like 'a mountain to climb', Amelie said her family, her friends, her dog Dottie and Young Lives vs Cancer's digital support groups helped her through it. After a six-week break post-surgery, Amelie then faced six weeks of radiotherapy, which caused sickness and hair loss, followed by nine months of 'relentless' chemotherapy Since finishing her treatment in March this year, Amelie has continued with her rehabilitation sessions and has started secondary school Mrs Williams added: 'It was agony for her, agony for me every day.