ENGLISH NEWS: TALENTED ENGLISH FOOTBALLER, 13, DIES JUST HOURS AFTER LEARNING SHE HAS CANCER

TALENTED footballer Tanisha Baverstock, 13, has died just hours after learning she had cancer.

The mother of a teenage girl, who died 52 hours after finding out the shadow on the teen’s lung was blood cancer, has condemned medics for failing to diagnose the cancer earlier. A blood cancer, lymphoma, which is treatable if quickly identified.

After suffering for weeks with a persistent cough, the teenager’s GP finally referred her to the hospital.

On initial evaluation of the symptoms, a persistent cough and weight loss, the 13-year-old was discharged from the hospital at Salisbury with antibiotics.

An X-ray had been taken showing a shadow on a lung that the consultant recognised as signs of a tumour and though it was tagged it on the hospital’s internal recording system as a ‘Code Red’ – meaning urgent action was needed, Tanisha was an outpatient rather than an inpatient, as the radiologist thought, so the alert was not followed up.

It was only 20 hours later when the radiologist asked an on-duty paediatrician about a ‘very abnormal chest X-ray’ that staff realised Tanisha– who had been given trials by the Arsenal girls’ squad – had gone home.

The hospital hurried to contact Tanisha’s family, unfortunately it was evening by the time the young teen was admitted to Bristol Royal Children’s Hospital (BRCH) and treatment was postponed until the next day.

Tragically, 52 hours after the X-ray, as doctors tried to remove fluid obstructing Tanisha’s heart and lungs, the talented footballer died.

According to Stips, an NHS Serious Incident Inquiry report into the case concluded that if Tanisha had been seen at BRCH some days earlier it is likely that there would still have been some risk to her, but assuming treatment could have been given, the lymphoma could have been successfully managed.

As Euro Weekly News understands, and inquest is pending and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust has not commented.