A young girl from Merseyside has been left with partial sight after a terrifying ordeal that began with symptoms mistaken for a simple ear infection.
From Car Sickness to a Life-Threatening Diagnosis
Chloe Kefford was just three years old when her parents first grew concerned. She began suffering from car sickness and a troubling loss of balance. Rushed to A&E, she was diagnosed with an ear infection and sent home with antihistamines.
When her condition deteriorated instead of improving, her worried family insisted on further tests. The shocking truth was revealed: Chloe had a brain tumour growing on her optic nerve.
A Gruelling Three-and-a-Half Year Battle
What followed was an immense medical journey for the little girl from Formby. Chloe underwent open brain surgery and endured years of intensive treatment. Her fight included proton beam therapy, a advanced treatment that uses a high-energy beam of protons to target tumours precisely while sparing healthy tissue.
This specialist therapy was administered last year at The Christie in Manchester, following two heartbreaking relapses of her cancer. Her treatment path took her from St George's Hospital in London and The Royal Marsden to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.
Her mother, Nikki, 38, recounted how the family's life was upended. They had been planning a move from Surrey to Merseyside just as Chloe fell ill. "The house was already sold, and we were planning our new life by the beach when Chloe became ill," Nikki said.
"She relapsed not long after we moved and had more chemotherapy. She rang the bell in April last year, but unfortunately, she relapsed again in July." A planned family holiday to Disneyland Paris was swapped for a six-week stay in Manchester for Chloe's proton beam therapy.
Honouring Bravery and Looking to the Future
Now nine years old, Chloe has been honoured with a special Cancer Research UK Children & Young People Star Award for her incredible courage. Her mother nominated her, saying Chloe "inspires" her every day.
"She has never once complained and is always smiling and happy," Nikki said. "The trophy is in pride of place in her room."
The treatment has taken a lasting toll on Chloe's eyesight. She is now partially sighted with no peripheral vision, and one eye is particularly badly affected. "The main aim now is to preserve what eyesight she has left," her mother explained.
Chloe is currently on steroids and undergoes scans every three months. The family remains hopeful the recent targeted treatment has defeated the cancer for good. "She's still in recovery and struggles with fatigue from the treatment, but we hope she'll have a bit more energy soon. She's our little ray of sunshine," Nikki added.
Throughout the ordeal, Chloe's siblings – Jack, seven, Joshua, five, and Sophie, three – have been remarkably resilient. "All they've ever known is Chloe being poorly, so they just get on with it," their mother said.
Chloe's spirit also touched others during her daily shuttle bus trips for treatment at The Christie. "She would sit next to someone different each day, often older people, and she was always singing," Nikki recalled. "We made new friends in that time, it's like she's got adopted grandmas and grandads."
Jemma Humphreys, a spokesperson for Cancer Research UK, said: "After everything Chloe's been through, it's been an absolute privilege to celebrate her incredible courage with a Star Award."
Each year, around 400 children and young people in the North West are diagnosed with cancer. Hospitals like Alder Hey are at the forefront of pioneering clinical trials for new treatments. In 2018, Cancer Research UK, with support from TK Maxx, launched the Children's Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence, a virtual hub uniting international experts to revolutionise treatment development.
