A Newmarket teenager with a suspected ear infection died just weeks after his brain tumour diagnosis.
Niall Kavanagh, 19, was rushed to A&E with sudden forgetfulness and an inability to speak.
The hospitalisation followed a period of illness lasting several weeks in which he attributed his symptoms to a suspected virus or ear infection.
He died in November 2021, just three weeks after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.
His mother Claire Kavanagh said the first signs came after Niall played a game of football in September.
"He actually went to see out-of-hours doctors at Addenbrooke's Hospital on two consecutive Saturdays, but was looked over and sent home with a suspected virus or ear infection," she said.
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Over the course of several weeks, his symptoms persisted and he also said he was feeling "really sleepy".
Niall's condition deteriorated drastically in the span of just a few days, leaving the teen unable to walk or talk.
A surgeon told Ms Kavanaugh her son wouldn't make it through the night and she added: "He told us he'd never seen anything as aggressive as Niall's brain tumour and left us with almost no hope.
"I had to go home and tell Niall's two younger brothers they needed to say goodbye."
Though he managed to recover for three weeks after this point, Niall failed to regain consciousness after a procedure to remove a shunt from his head.
Now, the grieving mother is campaigning alongside the charity Brain Tumour Research to help its petition to increase research funding reach 100,000 signatures, in the hope of prompting a parliamentary debate.
"I’ll never understand how Niall went from being a fit, healthy 19-year-old, playing football and living with his girlfriend, to dying three weeks after diagnosis," she said.
"Losing him has destroyed my life and I don’t want other families to endure the same heartbreak.”
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