Boy, 6, dies after blurry vision turned out to be cancer

A young boy died just months after doctors initially dismissed his brain tumour as term-time tiredness and exhaustion from after school clubs. 

Tay Kurtul, 6, from Leicestershire, started experiencing blurred vision in May 2023, but a routine eye test put his parents’ concerns at ease. 

Then he started experiencing extreme fatigue, heightened emotions and stomach aches before he suddenly became dizzy and unstable on his feet. 

His mum, Laura, 38, thought he could just be overtired from all his extra-curricular activities, but took Tay to the GP for a second opinion. 

Days later a CT scan revealed a mass on his brain. 

Further tests and an MRI confirmed the devastating cause was a high-grade medulloblastoma—a common cancerous brain tumour in children that starts in the lower back part of the brain. 

Anatomically known as the cerebellum, this part of the brain is responsible for muscle coordination, balance and movement. 

Despite a successful surgery which removed 99 per cent of the tumour, and numerous rounds of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, Tay died on February 9 2024—just 9 months after his initial GP appointment. 

Now his family are urging parents not to ignore the red flag signs of the aggressive cancer and to advocate for their children—even when their symptoms seem harmless. 

Recalling Tay’s heartbreaking ordeal, his mother said: ‘We will never find the words to describe how we feel after losing Tay. 

‘He touched so many hearts with his joyful soul and he taught us the true meaning of love.’ 

When Tay first started complaining of vision problems and headaches, his mother was surprised given that he had never mentioned a headache before, but thought he had just taken on too many commitments. 

‘Since that first headache, as the days went on, Tay started showing more concerning symptoms like waking up some morning feeling sick and having a tummy ache. 

‘He could also be quite emotional and felt tired even after a full night’s sleep. He just wasn’t himself,’ she recalled. 

‘I started to question whether he was just taking on too much with all his after school clubs and play dates. I thought maybe he was just exhausted and needed a break. 

‘But then my husband and I were told the unimaginable. 

‘I remember not being able to feel my legs when we were told the heart-shattering news and the pediatrician’s voice seemed so far away. 

‘It felt as though it was just me in the room and I was screaming inside but totally numb on the outside, although shaking with fear. It was a moment that will haunt me forever.’

Children diagnosed with medulloblastoma usually undergo surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible. 

Around 25 to 30 per cent of children will go on to develop posterior fossa syndrome after surgery—a group of symptoms that can be life-threatening. 

Whilst in Tay’s case the surgery was successful and doctors were able to remove almost the whole tumour—he was left unable to sit up, walk, eat and eventually lost the ability to speak. 

Other common symptoms of posterior fossa syndrome include loss of muscle control, which may present as rapid eye movements from side to side, weakness on one side of the body and behavioural changes. 

Symptoms usually improve slowly over a few weeks of months, but in some children they may never completely go away having a massive impact on their quality of life. 

Following surgery, children over the age of three generally have chemotherapy and radiotherapy  to the brain and spine to treat the cancer and reduce the chance of it returning. 

After what Laura described an ‘impossible decision’, Tay’s parents decided to stop treatment, as they felt it was just delaying the inevitable and making Tay more sick as he began to show signs of early onset dementia. 

‘We knew all the progression was taking over and it was no longer fair on Tay to keep fighting. His little body had been through too much.’

She added: ‘There is no fixing the pain and we now face an indescribable journey of survival. 

‘When you lose your child, the world becomes a different place and everything looks grey.’ 

Since his passing, Tay’s best friend’s grandfather, Patrick Howlett, 65, has completed a 177-mile walking challenge to raise funds and help find a cure for brain tumours. 

Tay’s mother said her son and Emily were inseparable since they first met at primary school. 

‘Their days together were filled with giggles, silliness and the kind of joy only true childhood friends can bring—a simple, pure and beautiful bond, a little love story.’  

Together with Tay’s parents, they have so far raised £4,000 for Tay’s Tribe, a fundraising group under the umbrella of Brain Tumour Research. 

Any McWilliams, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: ‘We are deeply grateful to everyone supporting Tay’s Tribe for their incredible efforts. 

‘Every pound raised helps us sustain critical research and being us closer to finding a cure. Without increased investment, we risk losing the momentum we’ve build in uncovering the breakthroughs patients and families so desperately need.’ 

Around 52 children are diagnosed with medulloblastoma every year in the UK.

Many of the signs and symptoms are general and non specific but might include headaches upon waking, nausea or vomiting, double vision, finding it hard to sit or stand unsupported, behavioural changes and a loss of appetite. 

Parents are advised to take their child to their GP if they are worried they are showing symptoms.