According to Ella Wilson, her son Luke has periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), a permanent brain injury that may prevent him from walking or talking. Ella Wilson alleges Luke suffered from sepsis at birth, which was never mentioned to her, and says she was repeatedly told by NHS staff that Luke was fine despite her concerns about his development. 'I don't have a master's degree, but I have motherly instincts.
From when he was just a few months old I had this feeling something wasn't right. But every time I raised concerns I was told he was fine. It was like talking to a brick wall,' said Ella Wilson.
In another case, Frank Cable was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour on May 23, 2024, at age 15 months, according to his mother Emily Cable, who says he was misdiagnosed with infections by three separate GP visits before his brain tumour diagnosis. 'When we came back, Josh and I got asked to go and talk in another room and I just knew at that point that it was going to be bad news. We walked into this treatment room and there were chairs in a circle and a box of tissues.
I don't have a master's degree, but I have motherly instincts. From when he was just a few months old I had this feeling something wasn't right. But every time I raised concerns I was told he was fine. It was like talking to a brick wall.
They sat us down and they said to us that there was a large tumour at the back of Frank's head and a large amount of fluid build-up too,' Emily Cable recounted. Sienna was diagnosed with a Grade 1 glioma brain tumour, according to her mother Emma, who says Sienna has lost her sight due to the tumour pressing against her optic nerve. Emma described noticing symptoms: 'Four weeks ago...
she was just on her tablet, just a completely normal day, when I noticed she was holding it a bit closer than normal. '' Aubrey had a stroke caused by a clotted bleed in her brain, later found to be due to an arteriovenous malformation, according to her mother Stephanie Smith, who alleges Aubrey's initial symptoms were assumed to be food poisoning by hospital staff. 'A CT scan showed a large white spot on her brain.
Myself and my husband, Josh, locked eyes. There was something lurking in her brain. I was completely terrified,' said Stephanie Smith.
When we came back, Josh and I got asked to go and talk in another room and I just knew at that point that it was going to be bad news. We walked into this treatment room and there were chairs in a circle and a box of tissues. They sat us down and they said to us that there was a large tumour at the back of Frank's head and a large amount of fluid build-up too.
According to Amanda Chester, her son Kit Chester-Canavan was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B Type) on November 28, 2025, and she says doctors initially dismissed his symptoms as a viral infection or musculoskeletal problem. Kit Chester-Canavan described his reaction: 'I was very shocked when I got the diagnosis. We were in Watford General and they went to speak to my mum in a separate room.
' According to Peigi, her daughter Lydia was diagnosed with a rare type of chondrosarcoma brain tumour. According to Courtney, her son Finley was diagnosed with a large brain tumour after initially being told he had an iron deficiency, and she says her worries were dismissed by medics who attributed his symptoms to iron deficiency. 'Trust your gut above everything.
For weeks I was told it was just an iron deficiency, but as a mother, I knew it was something deeper,' said Courtney. The specific reasons why multiple children's serious conditions were initially misdiagnosed as minor infections or deficiencies are not clear. It is also unknown whether there are systemic issues in the NHS or other healthcare systems contributing to these diagnostic delays.
The long-term prognosis for each child, including recovery timelines and potential permanent disabilities, remains uncertain. The outcomes of any investigations or responses from the hospitals or GPs involved in these cases have not been disclosed.