My son was dismissed by the doctors as an attention seeker

A LITTLE BOY is currently undergoing grueling treatment for a brain tumor after doctors dismissed his symptoms as “attention seeking”.

The parents of young Arthur Ridout, three, spent months pleading with doctors to take the little boy’s symptoms seriously.

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Mother Lauren repeatedly took her son to the hospital after he kept complaining of bouts of dizziness, nausea and headaches and was outraged that they were dismissing his symptoms, she said.

It took two months of visits to her GP and various hospitals before Arthur was finally diagnosed with aggressive medulloblastoma – the most common type of brain cancer in children.

With Arthur finally receiving treatment, his father Simon Rideout, 39, is now raising funds for the Brain Tumor Research charity to help find a cure for the cancer.

Rancher Simon, who lives in East Chelborough, Dorset with his wife Lauren, son Arthur and five-year-old son Fred, said: “There needs to be more awareness and I want to do whatever I can to help.

“It’s been a life changing few months for my family and they’ve given me a new perspective on everything.

“Before Arthur’s diagnosis, I spent a lot of my life working and probably not enough time with my wife and kids. I’m rethinking everything now and family life will definitely be a priority.”

Arthur’s symptoms first appeared in kindergarten in December 2021, where staff noticed he was unstable on his feet and needed more naps, eventually being sent home sick on a number of occasions.

Concerned mum Lauren took her son to the GP after he repeatedly complained of dizziness and headaches, but claimed she was told to just keep an eye on him.

He was referred to a pediatrician after a second visit to his GP, but before he could be seen, he was taken to the emergency room after falling ill with Lauren at the park on February 5.

Simon said: “Lauren went down a slide with him on her lap and when they got to the bottom he was dizzy and wanted to lie down in the dirt.

“When they got to the ER, they saw a couple of different medics and one of them suggested Arthur could seek attention, which really upset us.”

Arthur returned to the hospital two days later to see an optometrist and had a scan the next day, finally telling his parents what had made their little boy ill.

The scan revealed that Arthur’s symptoms were caused by a brain tumor the size of a plum.

Simon said: “It was a huge shock. We cried a lot.

“They sent us up the M5 to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children in an ambulance.

“When we got there, we met a surgeon who explained that Arthur’s tumor causes hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid that puts pressure on the brain.”

The toddler underwent five spinal taps in five weeks to confirm the cancer hadn’t spread to his spine before undergoing emergency surgery on February 8 to relieve skull pressure.

Two days later, the plucky little boy was back in the theater for a 13-hour surgery to remove the tumor.

Although the surgery was a success, he developed posterior fossa syndrome — a common occurrence in pediatric medullablastoma removal — and had to learn to eat, talk, move, and walk again.

After a grueling six weeks of head and spine radiation therapy, brave Arthur is now able to use a walker and is beginning to form sentences again.

The little boy’s battle is far from over, however, as eight chemotherapy regimens soon begin to stop the tumor from growing back.

Mel Tiley, Community Development Manager for Brain Tumor Research, said: “Arthur’s story is a stark reminder of how indiscriminate brain tumors are and affect everyone at any time.

“We wish Arthur the best of luck for the next stage of treatment and are thinking of him and his family at this time.”

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