'NHS CAN'T HELP NOW' Teen, 13, left screaming in pain, riddled with aggressive cancer after doctors dismissed ‘aches as growing pains’

Written by: The Scottish Sun

Summarized by: Pallavi Bollineni 

Harrison Thompson started complaining about his aches and body pains in December. Doctors assumed it was a rugby injury and did not pay much attention. His parents, Lindzey and Mitchel, took him to the GP, where they were told the pain was because of growing pains or a muscular tissue issue from rugby. Muscular tissues are responsible for movement by contracting, but Harrison’s pain was far worse than just muscle problems. 

When the pain got to the point where he physically could not eat, sleep, or walk without support. He was admitted to the emergency room at Leicester Royal Infirmary, but the doctors were still set on the problem being growing pains. When the pain continued on for four more months, Lindzey implored the doctors for extra tests. Finally, on March 18, 2025, they finally learned the truth about what was going on inside his body. Harrison had numerous tumors in his spine, spleen, stomach, liver, lungs, and kidneys. 

Lindzey thinks it started “when Harrison had a rugby accident at school where he was knocked down”. His vision went black, but in 10 minutes, he started feeling dizzy. When Harrison got checked out, he had a serious concussion and a killer migraine. His back problems started soon after. Despite his condition, the doctors kept reassuring Harrison and his family that it was just a muscle problem. 

Once it got to the point of being unable to peacefully sleep at night because of the excruciating pain, they took him to the A&E, where the doctors there thought it was a urine infection mixed with growing pains. The pain got worse and worse, and he couldn’t do basic everyday tasks. Harrison finally got put on the list for an MRI, but it was a 3-month waiting list. Lindzey begged for an urgent MRI, and when Harrison got it, he was told he had multiple tumors in various parts of his body. “Harrison was diagnosed with an undifferentiated high-grade epithelial malignancy of uncertain histiogenesis.” 

He was diagnosed with an undifferentiated high-grade epithelial malignancy of uncertain histiogenesis, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Harrison was transferred to the cancer ward at Nottingham’s Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre, where he began four rounds of chemotherapy and two rounds of radiotherapy. Unfortunately, neither treatment was successful in shrinking the tumors. By August 14, the tumor on his spine had even increased in size.

Epithelial malignancies of uncertain histiogenesis are rare cancers that begin as abnormal cell growths in the soft tissues. They often start as slow-growing, painless bumps before developing into something far more dangerous. In England, only 19 cases of epithelial sarcoma are diagnosed each year. Treatment for this disease usually requires removal of the tumor through surgery, followed by radiation therapy to kill any of the remaining cancer cells.

 Lindzey voices out that she went and spoke to the trust multiple times about Harrison’s condition, and she was ignored every time. As of August 2, the chemotherapy isn’t working, and Harrison and his family are looking at different solutions, some of which include traveling outside of the UK to get better help.

Work Cited

Turrill, Katrina. “Teen Riddled with Aggressive Cancer after Doctors Dismissed Aches as Growing Pains.” The Scottish Sun, The Scottish Sun, 27 Aug. 2025, www.thescottishsun.co.uk/health/15263115/teen-aggressive-cancer-symptoms-dismissed-growing-pains/?utm_source=.