A tragic incident occurred when a young schoolgirl named Ella McCreadie, aged 13, peacefully went to sleep in her bed one night and never woke up again due to an undetected brain tumor. The devastating discovery was made by her grief-stricken parents, Sophie Penrose (32) and Alastair McCreadie (36), during a post-mortem examination conducted after her passing.
Ella, who had a passion for horse-riding, showed no symptoms of any health issues when she attended school just the day before her untimely demise. The cause of her death was determined to be a haemorrhage caused by a high-grade diffuse glioma, a type of brain tumor. Her parents were utterly shocked by the suddenness of her passing and the absence of any prior warnings.
Following Ella’s passing, her parents, in collaboration with Brain Tumour Research, have been advocating for a parliamentary debate on funding for brain tumor research. They were startled to learn about the insufficient funding and awareness surrounding this devastating condition. Brain tumors are currently the leading cancer-related cause of death among children and adults under 40, underscoring the urgency for greater support and awareness.
In memory of Ella, students from Lakelands Academy, where she attended school, organized a read-a-thon and a ‘wear it pink’ day to raise awareness for brain tumor research. Local businesses also contributed by producing special pink products to support the cause.
Ella’s parents, along with their other children, Niall (11) and Shay (7), are actively participating in Brain Tumour Research’s ‘Walk of Hope’ event later in the year. Despite the ongoing grief, they feel compelled to share Ella’s story to assist other families in similar situations and to advocate for increased funding towards research, ultimately aiming to find a cure for this devastating disease.
Mel Tiley, the community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, expressed condolences to Ella’s family for their unimaginable loss and gratitude for their courage in raising awareness about brain tumors.
They aim to gather support for their petition to address the inadequacies in brain tumor research funding, hoping to bring hope to families impacted by this heartbreaking disease. The lack of substantial funding in the past has left patients and their families disappointed, and a united effort is needed to create a more effective system to combat brain tumors and provide hope for the future.
