{"id":143332,"date":"2023-11-01T17:27:54","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T17:27:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theprojectsworld.com\/?p=143332"},"modified":"2023-11-01T17:27:54","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T17:27:54","slug":"my-cool-kind-little-girl-started-slurring-and-fainted-at-school-just-six-months-later-she-died-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theprojectsworld.com\/lifestyle\/my-cool-kind-little-girl-started-slurring-and-fainted-at-school-just-six-months-later-she-died-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"My 'cool, kind' little girl started slurring and fainted at school – just six months later she died | The Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"

A TEENAGE girl died just six months after she began slurring her words at school. <\/p>\n

Ellie Riccio, 14, started showing symptoms like slurred speech and falling over repeatedly in January 2022. <\/p>\n


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Her mum, Kim, 45, rushed her to hospital after she fainted in drama class – and scans showed a mass on her brain.<\/p>\n

Further tests revealed Ellie, who studied at Ash Manor School in Surrey, had a deadly type of brainstem tumour, called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.<\/p>\n

The school girl was just one of 30 children in Britain to be diagnosed with the rare condition.<\/p>\n

Kim said: "The consultant referred to it as a 'heart sink' tumour because that's what their heart does every time they diagnose it, knowing it can't be fixed."<\/p>\n

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From blurry vision to forgetfulness – the signs of a brain tumour you must know <\/h3>\n

The mass had grown and wrapped around her brain stem, which limited her treatment options.<\/p>\n

Ellie's family from Surrey were told she had 10 months to live – but in reality, she had just six.<\/p>\n

The teen died in Shooting Stars Hospice in Guildford on June 28 2022.<\/p>\n

"It's not fair – other families have had a year, sometimes even two, with their child," Kim said.<\/p>\n

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To finish the three weeks of radiotherapy treatment, Ellie and her family moved to London.<\/p>\n

The mum said: "We celebrated New Year in London and watched the fireworks from the top floor of the hospital.<\/p>\n

"I observed the joy in her face as she watched the spectacle in the sky for the first time. It was bittersweet as I knew it would be her last."<\/p>\n

Before she died, Ellie lost her mobility, speech and ability to eat.<\/p>\n

"It was horrible, and because of the meds, she didn't look the same anymore," the mum explained.<\/p>\n

Despite her ordeal – Kim says her daughter kept her "cool, thoughtfulness and kindness" throughout.<\/p>\n

She added: "Even on extremely high dose steroids, the 'roid rage' didn't kick in, and she kept her calm almost all of the time and stayed the kind and thoughtful girl.<\/p>\n

"We managed a family holiday to Cornwall, which Ellie loved."<\/p>\n

But Ellie very quickly lost her battle against the tumour and needed 24-hour care.<\/p>\n

"My parents moved in with me to help care for her; we did this for five weeks. It was like having a baby again," Kim said.<\/p>\n

Kim is now raising money for Brain Tumour Research by doing 100 reps of any exercise a day for all of November.<\/p>\n

She added: "I'm doing this challenge for her and to keep her spirit alive in the hope that other families don't have to experience the heartbreak I have."<\/p>\n

Mel Tiley, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: "We're deeply saddened to hear about Ellie's death of a brain tumour.<\/p>\n

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"Her story is a stark reminder of the indiscriminate nature of this disease, which can affect anyone at any time.<\/p>\n

"We're really grateful to Kim for supporting us in fundraising and campaigning to help us to raise awareness."<\/p>\n

Signs to watch out for in your child<\/h3>\n

DIFFUSE intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) are one of the more common and aggressive brain tumours in kids.<\/p>\n

They start in a part of the brain – the brainstem – called the pons.<\/p>\n

It's deep inside the lower part of the brain, which is why they can be so deadly.<\/p>\n

It's the part of the brain that's responsible for critcal bodily functions like breathing, sleeping and blood pressure.<\/p>\n

Experts don't know the cause of DIPG, which can be hard for parents to accept.<\/p>\n

Signs and symptoms include:<\/p>\n