NEED TO KNOW
Nancy Dakin’s brain tumor was initially misdiagnosed as tonsillitis despite worsening symptoms like tremors and vomiting
After being told surgery was unlikely, specialists successfully removed 95% of the aggressive tumor in two procedures
Nancy’s family is raising awareness for childhood brain cancer and participating in a charity challenge for Brain Tumour Research
A toddler was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor after doctors initially believed her symptoms were caused by tonsillitis.
Nancy Dakin, a 3-year-old from Leicestershire, England, was just 12 months old when she started experiencing persistent vomiting and tremors in September 2023. Her parents, Gemma and Sam Dakin, took her to the doctor, where she was diagnosed with tonsillitis and prescribed antibiotics.
However, the medications weren’t helping and Nancy’s condition deteriorated in the following weeks.
“Nothing made a difference, and she just kept getting worse,” Gemma told Southwest News Service. “She then developed tremors in her arm and became pale and lifeless. She stopped doing all the things she had just learned, like sitting, crawling and trying to walk.”
Nancy Dakin
Credit: swns
“It felt like she was slipping away, and I knew something was seriously wrong,” she added.
At that point, Gemma took Nancy to the emergency room and demanded she be reassessed.
“I felt like we were being brushed off, but I refused to leave,” she said. “I know my child, and I knew this wasn’t just a sickness bug or dehydration. Watching her get worse while not being listened to was both terrifying and frustrating.”
After administering testing, doctors discovered Nancy had a large brain tumor on her left frontal lobe. She was diagnosed with grade 3 ependymoma, an aggressive and fast-growing brain cancer.
Nancy Dakin in surgery
Credit: swns
Nancy’s parents were also told that surgery might not be possible due to the size of the tumor. Gemma admitted that when she was told the news, she felt like “the ground disappeared beneath us.”
“We were told surgery wouldn’t be possible and that we should prepare for the worst and make her comfortable,” she recalled. “In that moment, our whole world came crashing down in a way that is impossible to put into words.”
Sign up for From the Editor, our free weekly newsletter from PEOPLE’s Editor-in-Chief, Charlotte Triggs.
Nancy Dakin during chemotherapy
Credit: swns
After she was transferred to another hospital, specialists determined that Nancy’s tumor actually was operable. She underwent two procedures, removing 95% of the tumor.
In December 2023, Nancy began chemotherapy, which her mother said was “extremely challenging for her.” She required a feeding tube and even had one of her ovaries removed during treatment. Additionally, she was dealing with severe pain from the medications.
“As parents, all you want to do is take their pain away, but we couldn’t, and that was the hardest part,” Gemma told the outlet. “It was one of the hardest parts of the entire journey.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Nancy Dakin in the hospital
Credit: swns
In January 2025, Nancy completed chemotherapy and was declared cancer-free.
The Dakin family is now sharing her story to raise awareness for brain cancer symptoms in children. In May 2026, the family will be participating in the “200k in May Your Way” challenge with Brain Tumour Research to raise money for the U.K. charity.
“I’ll be walking, running and indoor cycling to reach the target, and Nancy and [son] Mickey will be joining me whenever they can,” Gemma said. “It won’t be easy, especially balancing it all while caring for Nancy, but on the tough days, I’ll be thinking about how far she’s come and how research has helped save her life.”
“If sharing our story and doing this challenge helps even one family or contributes in some small way to future breakthroughs, then it will all be worth it,” she added.
Read the original article on People