Ayrshire teen diagnosed with inoperable brain tumour after 'pupil blew up'

A teenager has been diagnosed with a large inoperable brain tumour after her pupil suddenly grew in size.

For six weeks, Tia Muir suffered from dizziness, vomiting and back pain. Doctors initially believed the 14-year-old from Tarbolton, South Ayrshire, may have been suffering from migraines or that hormonal changes were to blame.

However on March 18, the teenager’s left pupil suddenly grew in size. Mum Katie Wilson took her daughter to Crosshouse Hospital after noticing the change in her eye.

Half an hour after arriving, Tia had a seizure. Doctors identified a mass on her brain after a CT scan was carried out.

The schoolgirl was transported to Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital by ambulance after the discovery.

Following her arrival, Tia underwent an MRI scan before being taken to surgery.

The 14-year-old had fluid drained from her brain to relieve some pressure. Tia is now blind in her left eye and has weakness in her left side following the operation.

A biopsy was carried out, which resulted in the teen being diagnosed with inoperable cancer. She is now undergoing radiotherapy to shrink the tumour.

Katie says the family are still trying to come to terms with the news.

The mum told STV News: “It hasn’t sunk in and I don’t think it ever will.

“This feels like somebody else’s story, this isn’t supposed to be Tia’s.

“She wants to be a vet. This isn’t something I had imagined for my daughter. She has never really been to the doctor.

“To go from that to what it is now is horrible. You feel like you are going to wake up and it has been a terrible nightmare but unfortunately it’s not.

“We’re taking each day as it comes.”

Tia is now in need of help with daily tasks, including getting up the stairs to her bedroom. Despite the struggles she is faced with, her mum says the teen welcomes each day with a “sense of humour” and “determination”.

Katie added: “She takes everything in her stride and will fight it with everything she has got.

“She is still going to her bedroom upstairs even though we have one downstairs. Tia is still determined to try carry on as normal as possible.

“Nothing phases her. She is the most amazing girl ever.

“My partner and her dad have both said she is their hero. She’s handled this better than some adults have.

“We want to make her life as comfortable as possible and make sure she can do all the things she wants to do.”

The 14-year-old has received a number of supportive messages following her diagnosis from the likes of Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin, Rangers legend Ally McCoist and singer Nathan Evans.

Tia’s step-dad, Michael Hiddleston, showed his support by shaving his head and getting a tattoo of the tumour. The teen wrote a note directed to the mass she has named “Benny”.

Michael had the note, which read “F*** you Benny”, also tattooed on his head.

The family are fundraising to build a covered space outside to ensure that Tia can spend time with her friends without putting herself at risk in the direct sun.

The funds will also be used help with anything else the schoolgirl needs whilst she is undergoing treatment.

The outpouring of support has left Katie stunned.

Tia’s mum said: “I have been taken aback by the number of people that have been kind to us.

“The staff at the Queen Elizabeth and the Beatson have been faultless, they’ve supported us. Even when I’m having a tough time they’ve told me it’s ok to be upset.

“Tia is such an inspiration to us. If telling her story helps somebody else sees the signs sooner, then it gives us hope.”

To visit the GoFundMe click here.