Girl's tumour diagnosis prompts 'village of support'

7 hours ago

Hannah Roe,in Bexhilland

Patrick Barlow,South East

Two-year-old Olivia, from Bexhill, has faced surgery for a brain tumour diagnosed shortly after her first birthday

Hannah Roe / BBC A young girl holding a blue toy. She is in a white-walled home. — Two-year-old Olivia, from Bexhill, has faced surgery for a brain tumour diagnosed shortly after her first birthday

The mother of a two-year-old girl said it "felt like the room was empty" after her daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumour - but now says they have a "whole village of support" after a group climbed Mount Snowdon in support of her.

Olivia, from Bexhill in East Sussex, was diagnosed with the tumour shortly after her first birthday, requiring emergency surgery and leaving her blind in one eye, and with limited vision in the other.

Olivia's parents Amy and Josh say they want to raise awareness of the need for research into rare paediatric brain tumours.

Amy said: "It's so difficult, but Olivia makes it a lot easier because she is such a happy child, and so bouncy throughout it all.

She added: "When we were told it felt like the room was empty. It was like it was being dramatised, but it was our real life.

"What started as a one-man band has turned into a whole village of support."

Amy said Olivia had showed very few symptoms of having a brain tumour before her diagnosis, except for vomiting while travelling in the car which they had put down to car sickness.

In August 2025, after she began to vomit continuously, the couple took Olivia to hospital, where an MRI scan eventually revealed the tumour.

Amy and Josh said Olivia's diagnosis had been "difficult" but that her bouncy and happy demeanor "makes it a lot easier"

Hannah Roe / BBC A family of six people, two parents and four children, sat on a sofa. — Amy and Josh said Olivia's diagnosis had been "difficult" but that her bouncy and happy demeanor "makes it a lot easier"

Olivia received surgery the following day after being rushed to the King's College Hospital in London, but this could only remove 20% of the tumour.

While the tumour was classed as "low-grade" and was expected to grow slowly, Olivia needed further chemotherapy after it was found to have doubled in size in a few months, requiring further major surgery in December 2025.

On Saturday, 29 August, Josh joined a group of people headed by family friend Tony Wadsworth who climbed Mount Snowdon, with Tony taking on the challenge to summit the mountain as many times as possible in 24 hours.

The climb raised funds in support of Olivia and six-year-old Nala, from Northumberland, who has a rare brain disease.

Josh said: "It was hard. We met them at 04:00 BST with 16 other people, and we couldn't see anything apart from our head torches."

Amy added: "I don't think thank you will ever be enough. We are planning on doing it yearly now."

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