Mum of six-year-old girl with brain tumour set to take on nighttime trek for charity
A young girl whose brain tumour has left her blind, has inspired her mum to take on a gruelling nighttime trek to raise money for Brain Tumor Research.
Olivia Taylor was just 17 months old when she was diagnosed with an optic nerve glioma in January 2018.
The youngster, from Sidcup, had been experiencing sickness, loss of balance and had developed a lazy eye, but her symptoms were repeatedly dismissed by her GP as viruses.
Her mum, Lisa Taylor, 38, said: “Then she fell over on New Year’s Eve, so I took her to the first available doctor’s appointment and demanded that she got help.
“She was sent for a scan that same day and that’s when they found it.
“She went blind a few weeks after diagnosis.
“It’s affected her life forever, now she walks with a white cane and reads braille.”
Olivia’s tumour is inoperable, she is on her third round of chemotherapy and has scans of her spine and brain every three months.
Lisa said: “Olivia’s amazing, she just gets on with it and never complains.
“She’s tired all the time from the chemo, but still does singing, swimming and everything other children do, as long as it’s adapted.
“Amazingly, despite only being at school 90 per cent of the time, she’s also on target for her age with reading and writing.”
Inspired by her daughter’s brain tumour journey, Lisa will be taking on the nighttime 1,345-metre ascent of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain, on August 17.
She will be joined by her sister, Eleanor Page, who is a paediatric nurse from Sidcup, and colleagues Julie-Anne Niblock and Lauren Turner.
Lisa said: “I’m terrified to be honest, because I’ve never done anything like this before, but I’m also very excited.
“I struggle with the thought of leaving Olivia for a few days, as she’s still on active treatment, but she’ll be with her dad so I know she’ll be okay, and she does tell me she’s proud of me every day.”
The group are fundraising for the charity Brain Tumour Research and have already raised more than £1,890.
To support the group’s fundraising, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/teamnevisatnight2023.
Pictured top: Olivia and Lisa Taylor (Picture: Brain Tumour Research)
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