Brave five-year-old beats covid to continue battle with incurable brain cancer

Mum Gemma says she is feeling hopeful for her little girl.

Five-year-old Lana Nixon is putting up a strong fight against a rare brain cancer after testing positive for coronavirus which delayed her chemotherapy treatment.

The courageous five-year-old has gone through a painstaking ordeal ever since she was found to have a rare brain tumour in 2018.

Lana, from Houghton, who has a fast growing ATRT (Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor) was diagnosed when an MRI scan found a large mass on her brain.

The little fighter underwent treatment including aggressive intravenous chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant but medical experts told her parents – mum Gemma and dad Andrew Nixon – that there was only a 10% chance she would survive the next 12 to 18 months.

Lana, 5 before she relapsed a week before Christmas.

But this little miracle began doing remarkably well as she started nursery at Hetton Lyons but then the family received the devastating news that the cancer had returned during a routine scan in December last year.

Gemma said: “It was the biggest shock because she was doing so well and she was loving nursery but then we found out the tumour was back the week before Christmas.”

The five-year-old then contracted covid in January which delayed her treatment by two weeks.

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Lana has undergone three rounds of chemotherapy after relapsing in December and has one more to go before her final scan in August.

Lana’s mum said: “She didn’t show any symptoms so we had no idea she had it, it was just one thing after another but she kept going and she was absolutely fine – There’s nothing that she won’t try and fight.”

The five-year-old then underwent craniospinal radiotherapy where she was put to sleep every day before four more rounds of chemotherapy.

A fundraiser was set up by family friend Kimberley to help raise money for Lana.

Lana’s mum said: "I can’t thank Kimberley and all the wonderful people who have helped fundraise and donate enough, we are forever grateful.”

Lana was told her cancer had returned the week before Christmas last year.

The young fighter now has one more round of chemotherapy to go before her final scan in August.

Gemma said: "We are forever indebted to the NHS and in particular the staff at Newcastle RVI on wards 4 and 14 for all their support and help in saving our beautiful little girl.

“We are feeling hopeful and her specific cancer is likely to come back but she proves us wrong at every stage and we are overwhelmed with how she deals with it.”

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