A baby whose sudden weight loss was put down to the fact she had stopped breastfeeding and started walking was actually suffering from a brain tumour.
Little Sonia Gallardo lost six pounds in six months after her first birthday and baffled doctors put it down to an increase in activity as blood tests found no abnormalities.
But an MRI scan eventually found a large mass on her brain which was revealed to be a suprasellar low-grade glioma, a tumour that contains a mix of glial cells.
Because the tumour is near the pituitary gland, which influences many processes including growth and the optic nerves, it was not possible to operate to remove it.
Her mum Paola, 35, said she and her husband were “completely dumbfounded” by the tumour diagnosis.
She said: “Sonia was nearly 18 months old when we noticed she was losing weight.
“She weighed 10 kilos at 12 months but six months later she’d dropped to nine kilos.
“We saw the GP, who thought it was because she was beginning to walk and move more.
“She’d also stopped breastfeeding and had started nursery, so there were lots of changes going on.
“I had started to think there was something seriously wrong with Sonia but I never suspected a brain tumour. We couldn’t believe it.”
By the time Sonia was two, she was still not gaining weight so she was referred to a paediatrician at Trafford General Hospital in Manchester.
In May 2019, the brave toddler underwent x-rays, blood tests and ultrasound scans, but nothing was found.
Four months later she was sent to the gastroenterology department at Manchester Royal Children’s Hospital where doctors carried out a colonoscopy and a biopsy.
She underwent further blood tests and was also tested for diabetes as she was drinking a lot of water. Nothing revealed any abnormalities.
It was only when she was sent for an MRI scan that the tumour was discovered.
Little Sonia began an 18-month course of chemotherapy in September 2019 and had to have a port inserted next to her heart where the drugs were administered weekly.
Paola, from Sale, Greater Manchester, added: “Being in hospital made Sonia very upset and angry and she cried a lot.
“The worst thing was having the nasogastric tube fitted, which she hated.
“The tube was fitted to allow her to be fed extra calories but she didn’t understand why she had to have it.
“Eventually, we explained that if she would drink her energy shakes instead, which she had previously rejected, she could have it removed.”
Sonia spent much of October, November and December 2019 in hospital as she contracted viruses and suffered high fevers as she started chemotherapy.
In December, Paola’s family visited from Mexico and by January 2020 Sonia was well enough to celebrate her third birthday at home with her relatives.
Paola added: “Even though 2020 was a hugely challenging year for so many people, for us, it was really positive, as it marked a significant improvement in Sonia’s health.
“As her chemotherapy progressed, her mood improved. She gained weight and the tumour even started to shrink a little bit.”
Sonia, who is now “thriving and happy” and is expected to start pre-school in September, has 17 weeks of chemotherapy left.
She is being monitored with MRI scans every three months.
Now, Paola is hoping to raise money for the charity Brain Tumour Research by completing 10,000 steps every day throughout February.
Paola said: “Research is really important to us, as it meant that when Sonia got her diagnosis, she had treatment options and when there are options, there is hope.
“My own mental health suffered because of Sonia’s illness and I overate and gained weight, as I struggled to cope.
“ I have started walking and running again to lose the weight and I’m hoping that joining this challenge will also impact positively on my mental wellbeing.”
As well as getting out and pounding the pavements, Paola says she will be clocking up the steps by dancing with Sonia, which is something the “love to do together.”
Sonia’s dad Ivan Aparicio, a 32-year-old mechanical engineer, said: “We have been very lucky so far because Sonia has responded to the treatment.
“Throughout our journey we have encountered families whose children have exactly the same tumour as Sonia and they are on their third round of chemo and slowly going blind.
“It breaks my heart and terrifies me to see what this brain tumour can do.
“While chemotherapy is a well-known treatment, it isn’t always effective, and its side effects can have a lasting impact on a child’s life.
“More research is definitely needed to find treatments that are predictable, effective and safe.”
Visit: www.facebook.com/donate/248013020033741 to donate to Paola’s fundraising page.