Thomas Jackson was just 14-years-old when he started to feel unwell while playing cricket.
The sports lover and keen Manchester City fan was playing for Hyde Under 19s: “It was a really big game, it was the semi-final of the Cheshire Cup. I had a bad headache and felt dizzy but then I felt better after I had some water and finished playing the game.”
But little did the family know a nightmare was only just beginning. By the time they got home, Thomas was feeling so unwell he couldn’t even stand. After that, he doesn’t remember much of what happened, but his mum Clare will never forget.
“He told me he didn’t feel well and just collapsed on the floor in the kitchen,” she said. “So many people arrived as quickly as they could, and we were blue lighted to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital”.
Scans found that he had a brain tumour the size of a golf ball, which required surgery, radiotherapy and intense chemotherapy to help treat. Thomas was about to start what would become gruelling weeks of treatment.
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Neil, Thomas’ dad, said the fateful cricket match was one of his son’s finest: “He took one of the best catches I’ve seen him take. He did a diving catch about three or four feet to his right – the whole place went up.”
But, after the match, Thomas began to feel seriously ill again. He said: “We got home at about 10 o’clock and I felt really bad again. Worse than at the cricket because I couldn’t even stand. I don’t remember much after that”.
After collapsing, Thomas was rushed to hospital, where doctors determined that he would need urgent surgery to remove the brain tumour.
Thomas underwent 20 hours of surgery over the course of two days and was in and out of hospital for three months. However, he still needed further treatment, so Thomas was accepted for revolutionary proton beam therapy as part of an international study.
This was co-ordinated by the Greater Manchester Children’s neuro-oncology service, run in partnership between Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and The Christie Hospital. For six weeks, he had a very strict daily routine.
Thomas said: “On a morning, I would be with my mum for my chemotherapy, then my dad would take me to The Christie for proton beam therapy in the afternoon. To make things even worse, it was during Covid and the height of the pandemic so I could only see my mum and dad the whole time.”
Anthony Penn, Consultant Paediatric Oncologist at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, cared for Thomas and his family throughout their journey. He explained: “Proton beam therapy essentially uses beams of radiotherapy targeted precisely at the tumour which reduces the damage to the surrounding healthy tissues.
“In Thomas’ case, most of the tumour was removed in surgery so we used proton beam to make sure that all potential leftover cells were treated.”
By December, Thomas was able to go home for Christmas and was set to receive a further nine months of chemotherapy. A combination of his condition and the treatment meant that Thomas lost a lot of his physical strength, his balance, and had difficulty speaking. His recovery involved working with occupational therapists and physiotherapists to rebuild his life.
Thomas said: “I had physiotherapy a couple of times a week for around a year. They helped me get back on my feet.
“The type of tumour that I had affected my balance and coordination, so the therapy helped me become more independent and get back to walking and the regular activities that I do normally.”
On August 31, 2021, Thomas rang the bell to mark his final treatment. He now only attends scans every six months to monitor his condition. Thomas, now aged 18, was so inspired by the people who helped him, that he decided to study physiotherapy at University of Salford.
Thomas said: “Having physio sparked me to want to go into that profession. Coming from a sporting background, I find the human body really interesting, and I’ve seen first-hand how it can recover.
“I’m really excited to start studying a new subject that I’ve never studied before and meeting people from all different places.”
Mum Clare said: “I think that he will be amazing at university, I really do, because he’ll understand the subject. It will be really good for him to get more of his confidence and independence back.” While dad Neil added: “I do see Thomas returning to the world of cricket in some capacity in his future and in our house, we call it ‘Project 21’. I take him out quite often so we can practise his catching and batting and I’ve seen such an improvement.
“He’s passed his driving test, he works at Tesco, he goes to watch Manchester City play, he achieved distinction stars in his results and now he’s going to university. He will be a great addition to the physio world, because his unique selling point is that he’s been through the journey himself.”
After Thomas’ long journey bouncing back from the devastating brain tumour, his family paid tribute to all the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital staff who helped him along the way.
“Everyone in that hospital deserves every single accolade and recognition that is possible. The nurses, doctors, surgeons, cleaners, security guards, car parking attendants, all played a part in our journey, and we’ll always be in their debt,” said Neil.
Dr Anthony Penn continued: “Adjusting to the weakness and unsteadiness that can come from brain surgeries and various therapies can be a big challenge and the Jackson family have done amazingly well.”
“Thomas has been really motivated in his rehabilitation and worked hard with the therapists to build up his strength to get to the best physical condition that he possibly could.
“Thomas was and still is an extremely talented cricketer and is an incredible role model to all children and young people who have been treated for a brain tumour”.
