Teenager sent home from school with headache has ‘inoperable’ brain tumour as family raise £50k for treatment overseas
An active teenager sent home from school with a headache has since been diagnosed with an “inoperable” brain tumour as his family desperately search for treatment options overseas.
Callum Stone, 15, who lives in Chelmsford, Essex, with his mother, Sarah Ferris, 41, his step-father, Mark Ferris, 42, and his brother, William Stone, 14, was described by his family as someone who is “very into his sport” and cycles to school everyday.
In January this year, Sarah and Mark received a call from Callum’s school asking a family member to collect him, and when Mark arrived, he said his step-son was struggling to speak properly.
Callum had three seizures on the way to a local hospital and, after having further scans and tests at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (Gosh) in London, he was diagnosed with a grade four brain tumour which is growing “like a cobweb”, making it impossible to operate.
Callum told PA Real Life: “Starting off, it was a bit hard and I was a bit moody and quiet – but I’ve been feeling better lately.
“Eating well and exercising actually makes you feel a lot better and I’ve been walking the dog, riding my bike and going out to the gym.
Sarah and Mark described Callum as an active teenager who was “very into his sport”.
“He cycles to school everyday, he’s doing GCSE PE, he loves basketball,” Sarah said.
On January 20 2025, Sarah said she received a call from Callum’s secondary school to see if anyone from the family could collect him as he had visited the medical room with a headache.
Mark, who went to pick him up, said: “He told me quite loudly in reception at school he loved me but he wasn’t getting his words out quite right, he wasn’t coming across as normal.”
Callum spent one week at the hospital where a series of tests were carried out, including a lumbar puncture, a CT scan and an MRI scan – the latter of which showed slight inflammation on Callum’s brain.
“Although they were concerned, they thought it might be a viral infection,” Sarah said, adding he was later discharged with anti-seizure medication and she felt things were “back to normal”.
The family attended a follow-up appointment there a week later where another, more detailed, MRI scan revealed a “large tumour” in Callum’s brain.
He underwent a biopsy on the mass on February 5 and on February 11, the family were informed he had a diffuse grade four glioma – a type of cancerous tumour which starts in the brain.
“It was shattering,” Sarah said.
“In a matter of hours, our world has just completely been thrown upside down but a few months ago, we were just a normal family.”
She added: “It’s inoperable, it grows like a cobweb so they would need to take away too much of the healthy cells.
Mark added Callum was more concerned about his family members when they delivered the news, saying he “smiled and hugged us”.
On February 14, the family travelled to University College Hospital in London where Callum later received six weeks of daily radiotherapy from February 24.
“He’s gone from being a boy who has never been sick to taking so many different tablets and being in hospital,” Sarah said.
Callum has been concentrating on his fitness regime and his diet to remain healthy, with Mark saying he has been going back to the gym over the last few weeks.
“There are times away from the kids where you didn’t think you could ever cry so hard but as soon as you see them, you want to start planning things, going out and seeing friends, family.
“They make it easier to get through the days.”
Callum will start ongoing chemotherapy treatment in tablet form next month, but Sarah said “for his type of tumour, there are no other treatment options for him on the NHS really”.
“We’re starting to look abroad with things that are quite specific to his condition,” she added.
“We’re just looking for other options, we’re looking everywhere.”
Their fundraiser has gained more than £50,000 so far, and Mark said it has been “emotional”, “lovely” and “overwhelming” to see the donations come in.
Sarah added: “It’s really just to let people know that we’re trying to find other options for him and this will be his best chance, but obviously that comes at a massive cost.”
To find out more, visit the fundraiser for Callum here: gofundme.com/f/raising-funds-for-callums-brain-tumour-treatment