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Six-year-old dies after doctors fail to diagnose brain tumour eight times
Last updated at 22:07pm on 08.09.06
Six-year-old dies after doctors fail to diagnose brain tumour eight times
A six-year-old boy died after doctors failed to diagnose his brain tumour during eight visits to hospital and a health centre.
The youngster's worried mother repeatedly took him to see GPs and paediatricians during a seven month period, because he suffered from agonising headaches, dizzy spells and sickness.
Levi Ringer was regularly sent home with tablets for a migraine and one hospital dietician even thought 'behavioural problems' were to blame and recommended he see a psychiatrist.
Eventually his mother Vicky Ringer demanded he have a brain scan. There were further delays due to the waiting list, but sure enough the scan revealed he had a lollipop-size tumour in his brain.
Levi immediately underwent an emergency operation, but the cancer had already spread and he died five weeks later.
Yesterday Miss Ringer, a 34-year-old drama teacher from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, slammed doctors for not diagnosing the problem earlier.
She said: "I am so angry with the hospital and the GPs. They let my gorgeous little boy down. The procedures need to change so that people recognise when there is a tumour. I don't want this to happen to anyone else.
"I will be making a complaint, because if they had noticed his symptoms and recognised what was wrong earlier - just given him the scan no matter what the cost to the NHS - he may be still alive today."
It is possible the tumour could have been present from birth, although it is more likely Levi had it for a year or two, she said.
"Either way, he has been suffering from it a lot longer than he should have. If they had only found it sooner my baby would still be alive," she added.
Levi had suffered problems with eating and his diet since birth, but it wasn't until December 2005 that he complained of severe headaches.
His first appointment for the problem was in January at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.
The consultant who he had seen before thought it was probably caused by his 'eating problems and constipation' and gave him medication.
But he failed to improve and in March Levi suffered a terrible headache and was taken to casualty by his mother. The schoolboy was released the next day with migraine medicine.
Miss Ringer said: "I didn't even ask for a brain scan because I didn't know at that point that it was procedure at all.
"I would have asked if I had known, but they just sent him home and said it was a bad headache. You just listen to what you are told because they are the experts, not you."
In April Levi was still having the severe headaches, he became withdrawn and unhappy and had dizzy spells. The boy would also wake in the night to be sick and was losing weight.
He was taken back to see paediatrician Dr Steve Jones and consulted a dietician because of concerns about his long-term eating problems.
Levi was also taken to see GPs at the Stanley Health centre on three occasions, but those visits came to nothing as well.
"At that stage I was desperate to find out what was wrong with him," she said
"We were looking on the internet, in books, we couldn't work it out. I asked his consultant to check his eyes. And then I said I wanted a brain scan. I thought he might have something wrong in his brain."
Initially she was told there was a three-month waiting list for a scan, but she managed to push for one sooner. The scan was carried out on 20 July - the 6th hospital visit - and revealed fluid on the brain.
"They sat me down and told me they suspected a brain tumour was blocking the fluid from draining out of Levi's brain. My whole world fell apart, we just couldn't believe it. After all this time we knew what was wrong."
Levi was sent to Leeds General Infirmary where more scans showed the tumour had spread down his brain stem to his spine.
The operation to remove the tumour was carried out the next day, but he went 'downhill' from then on. He was put on a ventilator as his strength ebbed away and his devastated mother recalled her final words to him.
Single mother Miss Ringer, who has an 18-month-old daughter, said: "I said to him crying, 'It's ok you can go now baby.' I didn't want him to suffer anymore." Eventually the decision was made to turn his life support machine off.
Tracey McErlain-Burn, chief nurse for The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust said: "We would like to express our sincere sympathy to the family of Levi, and our heart goes out to them at this very sad and difficult time.
"Due to patient confidentiality it is inappropriate to discuss details of our patients in public. However we have contacted the family and offered to meet with them to openly discuss all of their concerns."
The senior partner at the Stanley Health Centre declined to comment.
Reader views (4)
Our little boy Andrew, three and a half years old has just been taken into hospital with a malignant brain tumor. He underwent emergency surgery to remove the tumor. Now we're all praying and he's fighting for his life. Over the past 6 weeks we have repeatedly taken him to aDoctor in Oman. Because Andrew was vomiting every morning, the Doctor immediately thought that he was constipated. My wife and i are so angry that no consideration was given to anything but constipation. Why can't Doctors look at all possibilties considering they are dealing with peoples lives?
- David Gray, Oman
I was researching migraines because my 6 year old grandson, Nicholas, has started suffering from them, and I came across the story about Levi. My heart is breaking for his family. He was a beautiful boy. I think if he was in the U.S., a scan would have been one of the first tests performed on him. I think those doctors better learn about the new technology out there before the next six year old comes in with a headache. They should be sued for malpractice, and for the pain and suffering Levi had to endure. My deepest sympathy to the Ringer family.
- Jane, Petersburg, New Jersey, USA
Very angry and totally disgusted - this sort of thing should never happen. So sorry for this family. All those medical staff should be dismissed. Obviously the health system needs much more focus. I just can not believe this.
- Anthony Harwood, Christchurch, NZ
Evidence that NHS does not work. Eight visits he made to the doctor? I say! The doctors need to be struck down for "failure to diagnose". An MRI would have caught the tumor immediately. Kids don't get headaches. It should have been a big red flag when he complained of one. I find this incredibly sad for his famiy , and a sad state of affairs for NHS.
- Patricia, Florida USA
