Three-year-old girl diagnosed with rare tumour after doctors dismissed lump on her toe as a wart and told her parents 'it's nothing to worry about' READ MORE: Which life-saving cancer test spotted Lauren Laverne's cancer? By Rebecca Whittaker For Mailonline Published: 15:11, 22 August 2024 | Updated: 15:21, 22 August 2024 e-mail View comments A Gwynedd toddler was fobbed off by doctors who told her a giant tumour on her foot was a 'wart' for two years. Nansi Alys visited the GP in May 2021 when she was just three-years-old, after a small lump on her toe was spotted by her mother. Despite the growth continuing to expand, a series of doctors told the girl's mother, Leila Evans, that the mass was 'nothing to worry about ' —dismissing it as a wart, and then a cyst.
It wasn't until the summer of 2023, when Nansi underwent surgery to remove the lump, that surgeons realised the true threat to the little girl's health. Nansi Alys was taken to the doctor when she was just three-years-old after her mum Leila Evans noticed a small lump on her toe, in May 2021 Doctors told Ms Evans that the lump was a wart, but in the months following, the lump continued to grow After tests were carried out, Nansi was diagnosed with a rare type of tumour that affects around five in a million people. Ms Evans said: 'We went back and forth [to the doctors] and they said they thought it was a wart and there was nothing to worry about.
'In June 2022, we were seen by another doctor who said that it looked like a benign cyst. 'He transferred us to a specialist at Bangor Hospital, and he said it looked like a benign cyst and there was nothing to worry about. 'He said they could take it out or leave it and keep an eye on it.
'I said that I'd prefer for it all to be taken out and tested. I had no idea what it was it was just growing and growing.' Ms Evans, from Criccieth in Gwynedd, Wales, persisted until in 2022, when a different GP saw the lump and believed it to be a tumour Following surgery in 2023 to remove the lump, she was diagnosed with a rare-type of tumour that only affects about five in a million people In 2023, Nansi, underwent a surgery to remove the tumour, and after a six week wait, the family received answers.
She was diagnosed with a desmoid-type fibromatosis (DF) — a rare type of intermediate soft tissue tumour, which sits somewhere between non-cancerous and cancerous. DF itself is not specifically a cancer , but comes under the umbrella of sarcoma — a group of rare cancers that originate in the bones or soft tissue. These types of tumours have the capacity to come back at or near the original tumour, but they do not spread, according to Sarcoma UK.
These types of tumours are usually found on the arms, legs or abdomen and can also develop in the head or neck area. She was diagnosed with a desmoid-type fibromatosis (DF) — a rare type of intermediate soft tissue tumour, which sits somewhere between non-cancerous and cancerous It's extremely rare and in every million people, around five to six could be expected to develop DF. However, it's difficult to predict how DF will develop.
Sometimes they can be slow growing and they have also been known to get smaller without any treatment, Sarcoma UK says. 'Everything was going around in my mind - what if my daughter has cancer?,' Ms Evans said. 'I wish the doctors would have listened to me.
'It was scary for the whole family — she's my baby and she was only six years old at the time.' After receiving the shocking diagnosis, the family looked to charity Sarcoma UK for information and support. After receiving the shocking diagnosis, the family, pictured Leila and Mark Evans on Mount Snowdon, looked to charity Sarcoma UK for information and support On Saturday, inspired by Nansi's story, the family climbed Mount Snowdon, raising over £1,300 for Sarcoma UK in their five hour climb 'When we found out, the doctor told us that if we're going to Google it, make sure we use the Sarcoma UK website, so that's what I did,' Ms Evans said.
'Within a week of Nansi's diagnosis, Sarcoma UK had posted us a lot of information about what it was and what the next steps were. 'They helped us track our appointments, and told us about what we could do as a family to help her — they've been really good.' On Saturday, inspired by Nansi's story, the family climbed Mount Snowdon, raising over £1,300 for Sarcoma UK in their five hour climb.
'I've never gone up Snowdon before, so if I was going to do it, it had to be for a good cause - and what could be better than raising money for Sarcoma UK?,' Ms Evans said. 'It was a beautiful day. To begin with, I did struggle, but it was amazing.
All I had in my head was "I'm doing it for Nansi." 'I'm over the moon that we've been able to raise this much. My target to begin with was £500, and that was hit in the first few days.
I'm extremely happy.' Wales Share or comment on this article: Three-year-old girl diagnosed with rare tumour after doctors dismissed lump on her toe as a wart and told her parents 'it's nothing to worry about' e-mail Add comment.
