A childhood cancer survivor has revealed why it took doctors months to diagnose her with a brain tumor, despite many warning signs.
The parents of then-five-year-old Georgia began to realize that the Tasmanian toddler was becoming uncoordinated, falling over toys and running into poles, and had developed a lazy eye.
The family's GP said there was nothing to worry about and that her coordination would return if her 'rolled out' eye corrected itself over time.
After eight months of no improvement and countless doctors not knowing what was wrong with the little girl, she was finally referred for an MRI.
The scan revealed that Georgia's symptoms were caused by a cancerous tumor that had wrapped around her optic nerve and spread to her brain.
At the age of five, Georgia (pictured) began to become uncoordinated and develop a lazy eye, with a GP telling her parents there was nothing to worry about
Georgia underwent emergency surgery the next day, during which doctors had to cut through the right side of her skull to try to cut out the tumor.
Although the surgery was a limited success and much of the tumor was removed, sections had to be left behind and treated with chemotherapy.
After already waiting eight months for a diagnosis, Georgia would then endure another eight months of a grueling battle with chemo.
Twenty years later, she remembers having to drive three hours to the nearest clinic to undergo radiation treatment when she just wanted to “play with my friends again.”
“My treatment was a long process, first I had to undergo surgery and once I recovered from that, the many chemotherapy treatments started,” she said. Canteena charity that helps children affected by cancer.
'In addition, I lost vision in one of my eyes, and my peripheral vision in the other eye is limited. It was a long journey back to anything resembling a 'normal' life.”
Even though she overcame the disease and went into remission just under a year later, the trauma of the experience stayed with her and made it even more difficult because she had no one her age to talk to about her battle with cancer.
“After a few years I realized I was still struggling with my cancer experience, I felt isolated and disconnected from other people my age,” she said.
Eight months later, a cancerous tumor was found around her optic nerve and she underwent another eight months of chemotherapy to beat the disease
Twenty years later, the teacher said the most painful experience was the loneliness she felt because she didn't know anyone who had been affected by cancer in the same way.
Georgia was introduced to Canteen in her teenage years, where she would finally find the companionship she was looking for.
'I can tell you: that's when my life changed. During my first Canteen program, I met two other girls from Tasmania who were also going through their own experiences, and we have been best friends ever since,” she said.
'I have been able to access unconditional support and connect with so many young people.'
Georgia has since become a youth ambassador for the organization to encourage children affected by cancer to contact the organization.
Her story was shared by Canteen as part of a holiday fundraiser to help other young people get the help they need.
“Canteen's programs are designed to help young people affected by cancer meet others who share similar stories. It's about bringing them together so they can find the support they can't get anywhere else,” said Canteen Program Officer Oli.