Change to 9 year-old’s appearence that was surprising sign of aggressive brain cancer that killed him
A Hertfordshire mother has told of the unusual sign of aggressive brain cancer that ultimately killed her nine year-old boy, Luke.
Sam Poga, 42, from Borehamwood, noticed that her then six year-old had piled on significant pounds in the space of a year and a half.
Having been a ‘slight’ boy in his early childhood, Luke’s weight doubled between the beginning of 2020 and mid-2021, which his mother initially put down to a lack of exercise during the multiple Covid lockdowns.
But by the time he returned to school in July 2021, aged six, he was wearing clothes meant for 11-to-12-year-olds.
‘Parents commented that Luke looked different,’ Ms Poga said. ‘He was always so slight, so it was a noticeable change for everyone who knew him.’
Concerned, she contacted a nutritionist who could revamp his diet.
But within months another strange symptom cropped up — Luke began to suffer sore eyes.
‘He had problems with his eyes and rubbed them saying they were sore,’ Ms Poga said. ‘And I knew there was something wrong.’
Luke Poga, from Hertfordshire, died aged nine last year after suffering an aggressive brain tumour
She took Luke to the optician, who referred him to ophthalmology at their local hospital.
Doctors there performed an MRI scan and, devastatingly, it spotted a fast-growing glioma brain tumour.
Only around a third of those diagnosed with the condition are expected to live longer than five years, according to the charity Brain Tumour Research.
Medics informed the family that, sadly, Luke’s brain tumour was inoperable.
Ms Poga, who also is mum to Daisy, 12, said: ‘’I felt numb and couldn’t take in the information presented to me during the appointment.
‘Doctors said the tumour was large but because it was diffused, they couldn’t operate. I remember feeling shocked.’
Luke underwent combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment, and lost the excess weight that he’d gained.
‘His eyesight remained intact, and for some time we enjoyed life as a family, whilst still navigating medical appointments,’ said Ms Poga.
Sam Poga, Luke’s mother, felt ‘numb’ when she received the diagnosis from doctors.
However, at the beginning of 2024, doctors informed the family that Luke’s cancer was terminal and predicted he’d have just months left to live.
Luke died at Watford General Hospital on August 26, 2024.
Brain tumours can cause weight gain due to the impact of the growth on regions of the organ that control appetite and hormone balance.
However, fluctuations in weight related to brain tumours are usually paired with other signs of the disease.
Other symptoms include headaches, seizures, nausea, memory problems and changes in personality, trouble seeing or speaking and paralysis.
Brain tumours can affect people of any age, including children, although they tend to be more common in older adults, according to the NHS.
More than 12,000 people are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour in the UK each year, of which about half are cancerous.
Tragically, four months after Luke’s death, a 10-year-old girl at his school died of the disease.
Now, more than 300 staff and children — including Sam Poga — from Summerswood Primary School in Borehamwood are walking 10,000 steps every day in February to raise money for Brain Tumour Research — in memory of the two pupils.
Luke, who died in August last year, was brother to Daisy, 12.
‘Until you’re experiencing it, you don’t know about brain tumours,’ said Ms Poga.
‘I was taken aback when I heard the statistic that brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours since records began in 2002.’
‘Walking is something I enjoy doing and so far, this challenge has been a great way to combine my daily walk whilst raising money to help find vital research to find kinder treatments and eventually a cure for this disease.’
‘The support of Luke’s school, including the headteacher Sarah Kneller and the parents, teachers and students has been incredible from when Luke was first diagnosed and even now after his passing.”
Dr Karen Noble, Director of Research, Policy and Innovation at Brain Tumour Research, said: ‘Signs and symptoms of a brain tumour are as complex as the brain itself.
‘They can differ from patient to patient and be anything from headaches, change in personality and, unusually, in Luke’s case, change in body shape.
‘The greater understanding of how tumours develop, how they are detected and access to better treatment will only be achieved with increased investment in research.’
