Lucie Joan Fagan, a young girl from Bootle, Merseyside, who had been bravely fighting a rare form of brain cancer, recently faced heartbreaking news just days after returning to school. Lucie’s family had celebrated her recovery after two years of rigorous treatment, only to be devastated when her cancer returned, reported by the Mirror.
Lucie was first diagnosed with ependymoma, a rare brain tumor, in March 2021 when she was only ten. Following the diagnosis, her family moved to Manchester, where Lucie underwent proton beam therapy at the Christie Hospital. Despite a successful course of treatment, a follow-up scan showed a second tumor, prompting her to undergo further radiotherapy at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.
Earlier this month, Lucie had returned to school for the first time in two years, thrilled to reconnect with friends and experience a sense of normalcy. However, just as she was settling in, she collapsed during school on October 24. Her mother, Jayne Fagan, received the dreaded knock at the door from Lucie’s teacher, urging her to come quickly. “She said, ‘quick, get in the car. Lucie has collapsed,'” Jayne recalled. “I knew straight away that her cancer was back; there was no other answer”, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Lucie was rushed to Alder Hey Hospital, where an MRI confirmed the presence of another tumor. She now faces another round of proton beam therapy, meaning the family will need to relocate once again to Manchester over the Christmas season.
The news has been especially tough on Lucie, who had been looking forward to a normal holiday season with her family. “She has just made a group of brilliant friends and had a part in the Christmas panto, which she has lost,” said Ms. Fagan. “She is now at the age where she wants to look beautiful and pretty all the time and is heartbroken she may lose her hair again.”
The family will spend Christmas and New Year in a hotel in Manchester, marking yet another holiday season spent away from home. “We thought this one was going to be normal,” Jayne said. “Everything was fine, and we got told it’s not.”
Ms. Fagan has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the family’s expenses during this difficult time, as they prepare to support Lucie through yet another challenging battle. The family’s strength and Lucie’s resilience have touched many, with community support pouring in as they face the road ahead together.