Mother Remembers Daughter Lost to Brain Tumor After Long Battle

Freya Bevan, a vibrant nine-year-old from Neath, South Wales, tragically passed away in December 2021, following a prolonged battle with a brain tumor. Her mother, Katherine Bevan, held her daughter in her arms as she took her last breath, a heart-wrenching moment that marked the end of a seven-year ordeal that began with what was initially perceived as a simple dairy intolerance.

Freya’s health issues began when she was just 20 months old, with frequent vomiting that led her mother to suspect a milk allergy. Despite multiple visits to the general practitioner, doctors struggled to determine the cause of Freya’s symptoms. It took months of testing and hospital visits before they discovered the devastating truth: a stage 4 PNET brain tumor, approximately the size of a golf ball, required urgent surgical intervention.

“I remember that day so clearly,” recalls Katherine, now 52. “Freya was sitting on my lap when the doctor told me she had a brain tumor. I thought, ‘How can this be happening?’ In that moment, I was terrified.”

According to the Brain Tumour Charity, around 420 children are diagnosed with brain tumors annually in the UK. Symptoms can vary widely, including headaches, nausea, and changes in behavior. In Freya’s case, some of the tumor was successfully removed, but due to its perilous positioning, not all could be excised. Subsequently, she underwent chemotherapy and traveled to Oklahoma for proton beam therapy, a treatment that initially appeared successful.

“Despite her suffering, Freya was never without a smile,” Katherine reflects. “After the proton beam therapy, the cancer seemed to have all but disappeared, and Freya turned back into the bubbly girl she had always been.”

By the age of seven, Freya was thriving, enjoying school and family outings. However, in October 2020, a routine scan revealed a shadow on her brain, signaling the return of the tumor. Doctors confirmed the tumor had doubled in size, necessitating another extensive nine-hour surgery. Despite the best efforts, it grew back by the time radiation treatment was scheduled.

Katherine’s determination to save her daughter never waned. After extensive research, she discovered alternative treatments, including tablets from Germany and a personalized vaccine from Mexico targeted at Freya’s tumor. “Freya took everything without complaint. I just couldn’t give up on trying to save her. She had her whole life ahead of her,” Katherine states, her voice filled with emotion.

Despite their efforts, Freya’s condition worsened, and Katherine ultimately faced the unbearable reality of losing her daughter. “All I could do was hold her in my arms as she took her last breath. I would have died for her there and then, but I couldn’t.”

The statistics surrounding brain tumors are stark. More than 12,000 individuals in the UK are diagnosed with a primary brain tumor each year, with approximately half being cancerous. Tragically, around 5,300 people die from this disease annually, making it the most lethal cancer for individuals under 40. The NHS indicates that brain tumors can result in significant life expectancy reduction, averaging a decrease of 27 years.

In response to her profound grief, Katherine has transformed her pain into purpose. In 2022, she became a qualified counselor specializing in bereavement and launched Freya’s Freedom of Mind Counselling Services. “Losing a child can be the loneliest place in the world. It’s all-consuming,” she explains. “I want to help other people who are grieving to feel less alone. Doing this work keeps Freya’s memory alive.”

Katherine acknowledges that the experience of losing her daughter altered her social landscape dramatically. “Sometimes the people you think will show up simply don’t or can’t. Sitting with other people’s pain is incredibly difficult,” she observes. “I know Freya is with me every moment of each day. This work is for her. I know that by doing it, my beautiful daughter didn’t die in vain. Her memory will always be alive within me.”

Her journey illustrates the profound impact of childhood brain tumors and highlights the need for increased awareness about the symptoms and potential risks associated with this disease. Katherine’s commitment to counseling not only honors Freya’s memory but serves as a source of support for others navigating similar heartache.