A schoolboy received a devastating brain tumour diagnosis after his mum spotted he had developed a lazy eye – and wouldn’t stop dribbling.
Nine-year-old Spencer Helliwell was found to have a medulloblastoma and required two major operations, amounting to more than 23 hours under the knife.
The youngster then endured proton beam therapy and chemotherapy before facing gruelling physiotherapy sessions as the procedures had impacted his ability to move.
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Following his operations, Spencer now relies on a wheelchair and has lost the use of his dominant right hand.
Yet despite the tremendous obstacles the schoolboy has encountered, Spencer’s medical scans reveal his condition remains stable.
The brave lad has even made it back to school alongside all his mates – with devoted mum Char Humphries, 35, calling her son “a miracle”.
Char, a carer, from Swindon, Wiltshire, said: “I was horrified and burst into tears when he was diagnosed.
“At first, I had assumed it was something minor. I had a lazy eye as a child too.
“But we were told if we hadn’t gone to the hospital when we did, he wouldn’t have lived much longer.
“Now, Spencer will be monitored with routine MRIs for the next 10 years, but his latest scans are stable, which is the best news we could hope for.
“Physically, Spencer still faces challenges. Despite all this, he’s curious, smart, and determined.
“After everything he’s been through, to see him enter year eight, smiling and surrounded by his friends, is nothing short of a miracle.”
Char took her son Spencer to the optician in March 2024 after noticing a lazy eye, but nothing alarming was initially discovered.
However, when the lazy eye persisted and Spencer began to dribble and complain of headaches, he was referred to Great Western Hospital in Swindon.
A phone call from the hospital revealed that a shadow had been found on Spencer’s eye.
Char recalled: “They asked to speak to me alone, and I was taken into a room.
“That’s when the doctor told me Spencer had a very large brain tumour.
“I just broke down. I thought my little boy was going to die. I never imagined this.”
Spencer was then transferred to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where specialists took over his care.
An MRI scan confirmed the worst – it was cancer, specifically a medulloblastoma, one of the most aggressive childhood brain tumours.
Char said: “The hardest part was signing the consent forms for brain surgery, knowing the risks included brain damage and even death. But we had no choice.”
She also revealed that doctors harvested Spencer’s sperm to preserve his fertility.
Spencer underwent a gruelling 14-hour brain surgery at John Radcliffe, followed by another nine-hour operation.
These two surgeries managed to remove 90% of the tumour.
Char shared: “After surgery, Spencer was in ICU for three weeks.
“He was on morphine, hallucinating and in pain.
“I felt completely helpless, wanting it to be me instead of him.”
Following the surgeries, Spencer spent two months in the children’s ward undergoing daily physiotherapy.
He was then moved to University College London Hospital (UCLH) for proton beam therapy.
Following a two-month respite after radiotherapy, Spencer embarked on a gruelling nine-month chemotherapy regimen.
Despite the intense treatments leaving Spencer physically weak, the brave youngster “kept smiling”.
Char shared: “To our relief, in April 2025 Spencer finished active treatment and rung the bell, a significant milestone.”
While the surgery was successful, it resulted in damage to the right side of his body, impacting his mobility and coordination.
Spencer now sports an eye patch to aid his vision, and the surgeries have affected the right side of his body.
He now relies on a wheelchair for mobility and, as he was originally right-handed, he’s had to master writing with his left hand.
Physiotherapy remains a regular part of his ongoing recovery.
Yet, despite his hurdles, he has just begun year eight – where he was greeted by classmates bearing hand-written cards.
Char, who has been raising funds for Brain Tumour Research, expressed: “Seeing Spencer walk through those school gates again was emotional.
“I didn’t think we’d ever get to this point.
“After everything he’s been through, to see him enter Year 8, smiling and surrounded by his friends, is nothing short of a miracle.
“Spencer’s journey is far from over, but he’s shown strength beyond his years.
“I couldn’t be prouder of him.”
Letty Greenfield, Community Fundraising Manager at Brain Tumour Research, added: “Spencer’s story highlights both the bravery of young patients and the urgent need for better funding into childhood brain tumours.
“Just 1% of the national spend on cancer research is allocated to brain tumours, that must change.
“We’re proud to stand alongside families like Spencer’s who are fighting not just for survival, but for progress.”