A Tragic Story of a Young Girl’s Battle with a Brain Tumour
A 10-year-old girl named Myla Lilly Broadey-Meears passed away in January this year after suffering from what was initially thought to be eye strain caused by playing on her iPad. However, the reality was far more tragic — she had an aggressive brain tumour that was diagnosed just months earlier during an eye appointment.
Myla was taken to Specsavers after experiencing sickness, headaches, and loss of balance during a family holiday to Primrose Valley, in Filey, North Yorks., in August last year. Her mother, Chantelle Broadey, 29, believed her daughter might have been suffering from eye strain due to playing Roblox on her iPad or perhaps needed glasses. However, the truth was far more devastating.
Myla was diagnosed with a tumour measuring between 7-10cm and was rushed to Sheffield Children’s Hospital for surgery to remove 60% of the mass. One of the symptoms that concerned her family was that her face had started to droop on one side, especially when she smiled.
“She had been fine just a month before we went on a caravan break to Primrose Valley,” Chantelle recalled. “She had competed in her school sports day. But while we were there, she started suffering from headaches and was wearing shades all the time.”
Her family noticed that she was not participating in activities as usual, which was out of character for her. She loved climbing walls but struggled on the first step, showing signs of imbalance and clumsiness. The day after the holiday, they attended a Taylor Swift tribute act, but Myla wasn’t interested and wanted to go home.
“We thought maybe she needed glasses and it was down to eye strain or playing Roblox on her iPad,” Chantelle said. “We also considered dehydration.”
Another symptom was that her face had started to droop on one side, especially when she smiled. “We thought she just had a new smile and didn’t think much of it, but looking back at photos, we can now see clearly.”
After the holiday, they booked an eye test for the following Thursday, and Myla’s grandmother took her to the appointment. “They gave my mum a full MOT and spotted something straight away,” Chantelle said. “They told my mum to call me and Myla’s dad and gave us a letter to take to A&E which they told us not to open.”
When they arrived at Grimsby Hospital, a CT scan revealed the tumour. Myla was immediately transferred to Sheffield Hospital, where she underwent surgery three days later to remove 60% of the tumour. “At that point, we didn’t know the size of the tumour, which we were later told was between 7-10cm.”
Daughter ‘was not the same’ after surgery
Chantelle, who works for a construction company, said her little girl was not the same after the operation. “Before she was always on the go and couldn’t sit still for two minutes, but the surgery left her with left-side weakness. From that surgery, she was bed-bound.”
“She wasn’t the chatty little girl that she was; she just stared at the ceiling all the time and wasn’t really with it. We had her good days, where she was quite chatty and we did get a few giggles out of her, but it would literally be 10 minutes of a day and then that would be it.”
Her little brother Tommy was born the day before Myla started her treatment in Leeds, leaving Chantelle juggling caring for her newborn and her poorly daughter.
“I still expect her to run through the door”
Chantelle added: “She underwent radiotherapy at Leeds Hospital and underwent 30 rounds of it, so it was very intensive. It was incredibly difficult as I had just given birth to my son Tommy. He was born the day before Myla was transferred to Leeds.”
She also had another son from a previous relationship with Myla’s dad, so she had two boys to care for. “But Myla needed me too. We were always told it was incurable, but she battled for six months and that is something she can be proud of.”
“She passed away on January 15, just four days after her tenth birthday. She never really came round from a general aesthetic from an MRI scan on January 6, so we weren’t able to really celebrate her birthday, but she was surrounded by family at home when the time came.”
Chantelle is organizing Myla’s Twilight Walk at 6pm on March 20 to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity, coinciding with Brain Tumour Awareness Month in March. Details can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1473726124759063/
Family’s Tribute to Beloved Daughter
“She never deserved what she got, no child does,” said Myla’s father Zak Meears, 30. “She was the most amazing, funniest, beautiful daughter I could ever wish for, and such a loving big sister to her young brothers. Her name and smile will never be forgotten, forever in our hearts.”
Chantelle set up a Facebook page, Together for Myla, to help other parents if she could. “I’ve had messages from people thanking me about what they can expect. Because we didn’t, nobody really prepares you for what’s to come, but we had amazing support from Andy’s St Andrew’s Hospice.”
She wants other parents to be aware of the signs and symptoms. “These children need to start being given hope and more research needs to be done. The more awareness we can make, could maybe make a slight difference and I hope in this lifetime there is a cure, just wish it was available for our precious girl.”
Chantelle promised Myla she would let people know how brave she was, so this is why she wants to get her story out there.
