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Spencer Helliwell, 9, Returns to School as Brain Tumour Scans Remain Stable

Extensive treatment has left lasting disabilities that will require years of monitoring.

Overview

  • His mother sought help after noticing a lazy eye, dribbling and headaches in March 2024, leading to a diagnosis of medulloblastoma.
  • Specialists at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital performed two brain operations lasting 14 and nine hours, removing about 90% of the tumour.
  • He received proton beam therapy at UCLH and completed a nine-month course of chemotherapy, finishing active treatment in April 2025.
  • He now uses a wheelchair, has lost function in his right hand, wears an eye patch and is relearning to write left-handed, with routine MRIs planned for the next 10 years.
  • The family is fundraising as Brain Tumour Research notes brain tumours receive about 1% of national cancer research funding, and doctors preserved his fertility before treatment.