A TALENTED schoolgirl tragically died just hours after she was diagnosed with cancer as mum says doctors “failed” her daughter.
Tanisha Baverstock, 13, had fallen sick with persistent cough and weight loss for a few weeks before she was referred to hospital in Salisbury District Hospital, Wiltshire, earlier this year.
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After visiting the hospital, she went home with prescribed antibiotics, and was told to return for another appointment a month later.
But at 11am the following day, worried mum Kelly received a call from the hospital, who said they found something alarming on the scan.
A radiologist noticed signs of a tumour and put out “Code Red” – meaning urgent action was needed – on the hospital’s internal recording system.
Kelly took the teen to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children that same day and at 11pm was told Tanisha had lymphoma.
What is Non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer that attacks the sufferer’s lymphatic system.
It starts in the white blood cells, which are part of the body’s immune system.
More than 12,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma each year.
It can occur at any age but statistically more men than women develop the condition, and the chances of it occurring increase as you get older – most cases are diagnosed in people over 65.
The main treatments for non-Hodgkin lymphoma are chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
There is also a type of targeted treatment used called monoclonal antibody therapy.
The NHS states that overall, most cases of the disease are considered treatable.
However, there can be a risk of long-term issues developing post-treatment such as infertility and an increased risk of developing another type of cancer.
Signs and symptoms of the disease may include;
- Abdominal pain or swelling
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin
- Chest pain, breathing difficulties or coughing
- Persistent fatigue
- Fevers or night sweats
- Unexplained weight loss
The only way to confirm a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma is via a biopsy.
Aspiring footballer Tanisha tragically died the next day on on January 31.
Mum Kelly, 39, from Swindon, said: “You don’t recover from the loss of a child, especially when she has been so badly failed by her doctors.
“One day she is sent home with antibiotics. The next I get a phone call saying she has cancer.
“It was spotted immediately yet nothing happened.
“These were wasted hours which could have given Tanisha a chance.”
An NHS Serious Incident Inquiry report into the case concluded: “If the patient had been seen at BRCH some days earlier it is likely that there would still have been some risk to her but this may have been substantially less.
“Assuming treatment could have been given, her lymphoma could have been successfully managed.”
Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust said an extensive investigation had been conducted.
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