9-year-old boy dies after doctors misdiagnose brain tumor as stress

By Adam Dutton via SWNS

A mom has told of her heartache at facing Christmas without her nine-year-old son who died of a brain tumour after doctors dismissed his symptoms as STRESS.

Riley Gregersen was a healthy, happy youngster who loved playing football with friends before he started struggling with his writing at school.

His teachers suspected he had mental health issues and doctors thought it could be a trapped nerve or stress but, within weeks, he was struggling to hold his arm steady to eat.

Blood tests failed to detect any problems but last January Riley suffered a seizure at an after-school club and was rushed to hospital.

His parents Gemma and Scott were given the devastating news that their son had an aggressive brain tumour called glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

Sadly, surgeons could only remove 40 per cent due to its location and the high risks involved.

His family raised funds for treatment in Germany but tragically the cancer spread to his spine and he was admitted to a hospice where he died on August 31.

Now facing her first Christmas without Riley, the family have bravely spoken out in a bid to warn parents to be aware of the symptoms of brain tumours in children.

Gemma, 29, from Stourbridge, England, said: “Riley loved everything about Christmas and I have so many special memories to cherish.

“Every year he would sit with the Smyths Toys catalogue and tell me everything he wanted.

“He loved to pick out presents and write cards for his friends too; he was such a kind and generous boy.

“I’ll never forget the huge smile on his face when I would take his photo in front of our Christmas tree, it was the best thing ever.

“Riley always wanted to help people. After he died, so many people told me about how caring he was.”

Riley’s health initially went downhill just before Christmas 2019 when he struggled to hold his pen at school and Gemma took him to their GP.

Gemma, who is no longer with Scott, said: “They said his symptoms were stress-related, or possibly a trapped nerve.

“We were sent away and told to come back in a few weeks’ time for a blood test, if he was no better, which we did.”

Riley’s teachers also noticed his tremor was causing him to struggle to write and they contacted Gemma to say they were worried about his mental health.

Gemma, an admin assistant, added: “I assured them that Riley had a happy home life and no reason to be feeling anxious or stressed.

“When the results from the blood tests came back, they didn’t reveal anything of concern, so Riley was referred for an ‘urgent’ MRI scan but the appointment didn’t come through before he suffered the seizure on 20 January.”

Riley’s prognosis remained stark, so Gemma and Scott began researching alternative treatment options overseas.

They found a private clinic in Germany which made peptide vaccines that could extend Riley’s life at a cost of $73,000.

Despite a fundraising drive, Riley became too ill and in May doctors delivered the heartbreaking news that the cancer had spread.

Gemma said: “Things had been going so well when, in May, Riley started complaining of numbness in his legs and he had balance issues.

“He was having problems going to the toilet, even though he was drinking a lot.

“I called for an ambulance and they took us into Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

“They did another MRI scan and when we got the results, my world fell apart.

“The tumor had spread and four new tumors had appeared on his spine. There was very little they could do.”

Riley had more palliative radiotherapy but after that, there were no other treatments available.

The German clinic sent Riley’s vaccines to the UK, as he was unable to travel, but Gemma couldn’t find anyone in the country willing to administer the vaccine because it was not certified by the NHS.

She said: “It was completely shattering. At 8.45 pm on 31 August, my precious boy died in my arms.

“Even though I knew it was coming, it was an absolute shock and just so hard to comprehend.

“One thing I am pleased to do this Christmas is to share our story to help raise awareness, in the hope that I can help to make a difference, in Riley’s name.”

About 18,600 people die from brain tumors each year in the USA.