Eight-year-old Aubree Garrot laughs as she plays with sensory tech with brother Lukas. But the joy on her face hides a pain the courageous little girl has carried since being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, which sent her into early puberty at the age of five. She is believed to be the only child of her age in the UK diagnosed with a Granulosa Tumour – a genetic cancer of the ovaries. Today her mum Clare, 37, tells Aubree’s remarkable story for the first time, as she backs the Mirror Christmas charity appeal in aid of Lifelites, which has helped her family.

We launched our campaign on Monday to raise vital funds for Lifelites, to enable more children with life-limiting conditions to experience joy and connection this Christmas. Lifelites provide seriously ill and disabled children the chance to play, create and communicate using the power of assistive and sensory technology. The charity makes the impossible possible for children with the most complex conditions. Of the 100,000 children in the UK with life-limiting conditions, 15,000 currently have access to Lifelites life-changing technology but 85,000 are still without. With your help we hope to change this.

• 'Our child was locked in his body until incredible gift opened up his world'

Clare, who lives in Winsford, Cheshire, with husband Greg, 37, Aubree and Lukas, 11, says that when their daughter started getting stomach pain two years ago, they put it down to appendicitis. ”Lukas had previously suffered with his appendix and had it removed at the age of four, so I put Aubree’s pain down to the same thing.

“Aubree had an MRI scan a week before Christmas and three doctors hovered over the scan, which immediately worried me. We were told it was either a tumour or a complex cyst on her ovary and she was referred to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool.

“Before her next appointment in January she began to have periods, breast development, teenage mood swings and oily hair. I went to the GP and they explained it was because of the tumour. Aubree’s hormone levels for her age should have been between 0 and 100 - they were over 3000.

“Aubree was due to have surgery in January and the week before her operation she couldn’t get out of bed. She was screaming in pain. I took her to Alder Hey and doctors did an ultrasound but couldn’t see any organs because the tumour was so big, it had grown from 6cm to 26cms in three weeks. A seven-hour exploratory surgery followed, during which doctors went in through her pelvis to her rib cage to remove the tumour - it weighed two kilograms, 10 per cent of Aubree's total bodyweight. A lot for a little five-year-old to carry.

“They also removed an ovary and Fallopian tube, along with a section of her bladder, bowl and abdominal wall. Tests revealed 73 per cent of the tumour had the mutated TP53 gene, which is why it was so big and aggressive. It's extremely rare. We don't know of anyone in the UK of Aubree's age that has this, and now Liverpool Women's Hospital are involved in her care.

“Aubree didn’t need further treatment as removal of the tumour was the cure, she is cancer-free, but there is a chance the tumour could come back in the next 20 years - so she will never ring the bell. She will require constant monitoring and blood tests to keep an eye on her hormone levels.”

Because Aubree had started puberty her ligaments grew bigger, like that of a teenager, but her bones didn't grow. Her ligaments can become knotted, causing constant pain in her legs and making it difficult to play with friends. She also went into an early menopause after the operation once the ovary was removed, suffering hot flushes and disrupted sleep.

Clare said: “She has undergone therapy at Alder Hey as she’s struggled with the changes to her body. Having to teach a five year-old how to use sanitary products is a lot and there are none to fit someone of her age. It was a very difficult time. She still has the teenage mood swings because of the hormones.

“It’s so hard to see your child go through something like this and not be able to do anything about it. She is still a child and asks: ‘Why has this happened to me?’ because she doesn’t know anyone else like her.” While Aubree was going through this trauma her brother Lukas, who has autism and ADHD, also found it difficult.

Aubree, her brother Lukas and family have been supported by The Joshua Tree in Northwich, Cheshire, for over a year. The Joshua Tree charity provides vital emotional, health and wellbeing support for families affected by childhood cancer, for however long they need it.

Whilst Aubree was accessing support, however, Lukas’s behaviour was becoming increasingly challenging for Clare and the charity staff to manage. So, to further enhance the support they offer to families, The Joshua Tree applied to Lifelites for new tech equipment. The tech provided immediately engaged Lukas and he loved the different types of sensory and assistive technology.

Clare said: “The tech arrived on the day that Lukas was coming in, he was immediately engaged, he loved the iPads, Virtual Reality and he’s tech savvy so he started helping others too. It also allowed him to socialise, it was amazing. Lukas has always been the first to ask Aubree what she needs or wants and the Lifelites tech has helped Lukas support his sister in new ways at The Joshua Tree, making her smile and laugh.

“Both Lifelites and The Joshua Tree have been a lifeline to our family and the tech has allowed us to enhance our use of the charity. Whenever we come here the children have so much fun. Without Lifelites it would be challenging for us to attend The Joshua Tree session. It’s allowed my family to go to events there so Aubree can be a little girl and not the poorly girl. The difference in her confidence has been immense and to see the joy on her face as she and Lukas play together is priceless.

“Having the tech there allows me to relax, too. I get to talk to adults and not just be a medical mum or SEN mum, it’s been vital for us.” Rob Lightfoot, CEO of Lifelites, said: "Lifelites technology can be a lifeline to families and in this case it has enhanced Lukas and Aubree’s experience of the wonderful services provided by The Joshua Tree. Knowing that our technology is in place clearly gives comfort and reduces stress for the whole family so that Aubree gets the chance to be a child and have fun."

Donate today and unwrap the Magic of Christmas for seriously ill children. Donations from Mirror readers will be used to provide seriously ill children access to life-changing technology that will enable them to play, communicate and have fun in ways that would otherwise be impossible.

• Donate online HERE


• Text MIRROR to 70085 to give £10. To donate without receiving further updates, text MIRRORNOINFO. Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message, and you’ll be opting into hearing more from Lifelites.


• Donate by post: Send cheques made payable to Lifelites to Lifelites, 60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ

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