An Angus father has told how his daughter has never stopped smiling despite battling a rare inoperable brain tumour.
Sophie Gray spent nearly seven weeks in hospital after being diagnosed with the tumour, a low-grade pilocytic astrocytoma, and also caught E coli and meningitis.
The six-year-old must now live with a tube running from her brain to her tummy to drain fluid and relieve pressure.
Although the tumour is benign it is inoperable because it is located close to major blood vessels and the optic nerves, right above the pituitary gland.
The pupil at Warddykes Primary in Arbroath told her parents, Marko and Sarah, that she was suffering from migraines at the start of 2013 and things took a real turn for the worse in May.
That was when Marko got a call from the school to say Sophie had no feeling in her right arm or left leg and they took her straight to the doctor.
She was referred to Ninewells Hospital and went for an MRI scan the next day, which revealed the brain tumour.
Sophie then underwent five operations and two biopsies over a six-and-a-half week period at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.
A tube was inserted to drain away fluid along with a “button” in the top of her skull but the operation brought complications.
Sophie became ill and was diagnosed with meningitis and E coli but bravely battled through it and is now back at school. Marko, who fought testicular cancer in 2006, said it has been a traumatic time.
He said: “We have four other kids but as I went through radiotherapy I was told there was a chance I might not be able to have any more children.
“When Sophie was conceived it was an absolute blessing but I don’t think we’d be where we are now without her P1 teacher Miss Newlands.
“She reported that Sophie was feeling numb down her right arm and left leg and that’s when we took her to the doctor. Had it been left a couple of months more, the consequences don’t bear thinking about.”
Marko said the 48-hour period from when Sophie first went to the doctor to eventually being diagnosed and undergoing surgery was “just a blur”.
Despite the tumour being inoperable, doctors say that Sophie can still lead a very long and fruitful life, all being well.
However, she will have to go back for regular MRI scans to make sure the tumour has not grown any larger. Marko is now planning to get waxed by beauty students at Dundee and Angus College to raise money for CLIC Sargent.
He said the charity has been a fantastic help to the family and they want to raise as much cash as they can to help others going through a similar ordeal.
The waxing event has been organised by students Siobhan Thomas, Alannah Philips and Kerenza Yates, who are currently doing level 5 Beauty Therapy.
Siobhan is a family friend and asked her friends to help as to part of a course unit called “Working with Others”.
Siobhan said: “It was devastating news at the time, but Sophie has been incredibly brave and strong. It breaks my heart to see what she and her family have gone through, but I know that one of the biggest supports was the children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent. On that basis, all of our fundraising will be going towards the charity.
“Anything we can do to raise money over the next few weeks will be done.”