The Journal of a Mother Whose Daughter Had a Brain Tumour Diagnosis to Death: 951 days Age 19 18.2.97 - 24.2016 13 years ago 18th October 2013 As a mother, to witness your child being diagnosed with a brain tumour is something I will never be able to fully put into words. Charlotte was still extremely distressed and tearful about the thought of losing her hair. How could anyone expect her not to be upset about something that was such a huge part of how she saw herself? While we were in the changing rooms before radiotherapy, Charlotte told me how much she hated the way she looked. My heart was breaking for her. She was already struggling to come to terms with everything that was happening to her, and the thought of losing her beautiful hair was causing her so much pain. We saw one of the clinical nurses, who actually told Charlotte that there were a lot more people worse off than her. Basically, she was being told to stop moaning about her hair loss and get on with things. I was beside myself with rage. How dare somebody speak to my daughter like that? Charlotte was already on the edge emotionally, and those words were too much for her. She burst into tears. I could not believe that, at a time when Charlotte needed compassion, understanding and reassurance, she had been made to feel as though her distress was somehow unreasonable. She was just a 16-year-old girl who had been diagnosed with a brain tumour and was facing the loss of her hair, something that mattered enormously to her. She had every right to feel the way she did.I was determined to follow this up. I would not let what had happened go unchallenged. Charlotte was also struggling with not being able to have a proper bath because of her morphine patches, which needed to be kept dry. Even something as simple as having a bath, something most of us take for granted, had become another thing she had to think about. At long last, it was agreed that we could halve the morphine patch. If Charlotte's pain returned or became worse, she could go back to a higher dose. It felt like we were having to fight for so many things, even the smallest ones. Charlotte was dealing with more than any 16-year-old should ever have to face, and all I wanted was for her to be treated with kindness, dignity and understanding. Please consider donating to Charlotte's BAG to help fund vital brain tumour research.Research carried out in Charlotte's Lab at King's College London covers all types of brain tumours, helping the wider brain tumour community.We are a small, entirely self-funded charity, which means 100% of your donation goes directly to research. No salaries. No overheads. No advertising. No merchandise. charlottesbag.org/