THE INSPIRATIONAL story of an Isle of Wight teenager who has returned to competitive trampolining, less than six months after surgery to remove a brain tumour, has been shared as part of a campaign to raise awareness of the condition.
Sophie Gallagher, 13, was diagnosed with the tumour in April last year after a series of seizures.
Doctors gave the Carisbrooke College pupil two options — wait and see if it grew further or have an operation to remove it that could permanently affect her balance.
She chose surgery, despite knowing that it might force her to give up competitive trampolining.
On July 1 last year, surgeons at Southampton Hospital successfully removed the non-malignant tumour, which was about the size of an olive.
After her diagnosis, Sophie was ordered to avoid any strenuous physical exercise until she was given the all-clear. Her medical team warned that could take a year.
But in January she travelled to Milton Keynes with her club, the Newport-based Wight Flyers, for a regional British Gymnastics contest.
Mum Karen said: "I was so proud of her. She even jumped in a higher level category than she was used to before the surgery.
"It was a very emotional moment to see her competing again."
After taking part in another trampolining event in Abingdon recently, Sophie — who will celebrate her 14th birthday on Sunday (March 26) — has opted to take things a little more slowly.
"She’s decided to drop down a level for a while," Karen said.
"But it’s just a matter of building up her confidence — her coaches have said she’ll be back doing the national competitions."
Community carer Karen, who is sharing her family’s experience through The Brain Tumour Charity in support of Brain Tumour Awareness Month, said she would never forget the moment she was told Sophie had a brain tumour.
"Because of the seizures, she was sent for a scan at St Mary’s Hospital. Afterwards, when Sophie was out of the room, the doctor said: 'We’ve found something on her brain.’
"We didn’t tell Sophie straight away — we tried to carry on as normal."
But when an MRI scan at Southampton Hospital confirmed the diagnosis, Karen decided Sophie herself should choose the way forward.
"I felt that it was her brain and her tumour and she should be the one to decide what she wanted to do.
"The doctor said that was fine. But he also said that because she did national trampolining, she needed to know that if she had surgery to remove the tumour, she might not be able to jump in a straight line afterwards.
"Sophie talked to me and to my partner, Kenny, and in the end she said: 'I’m going to go for it and have the tumour taken out.’"
Sophie said: "I thought they were joking at first when they told me I had a brain tumour.
"The only time I felt scared was the night before the surgery.
"There are times I wish I hadn’t had the operation, like when I can’t do a certain trampolining move that I used to be able to do.
"I have to train more than before. But I really wanted to have the tumour taken out as it could have become cancerous."
Karen said she and her family had been offered 'incredible’ support from The Wight Brainy Bunch, which was set up to help anyone on the Island who is affected by a brain tumour.
The group was started by firefighter Mark Grimes, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour 2015, and his wife Kathryn.
And Karen said there had been some positive effects on her family following Sophie’s diagnosis.
"The stress could have driven us apart but in fact it’s brought us all closer together."
For more information visit thebraintumourcharity.org or http://www.thewightbrainybunch.org.uk/