He has an eating disorder. But Chris had 4 brain tumors

He was diagnosed with an eating disorder because he had no appetite. But actually the problem Chris Mullins, who is now 15, was much more serious: four tumors were found in the American teenager. The boy had lost a great deal of weight, so much so that a psychologist was advised when the problem got worse and he was forced to leave school due to severe vertigo and fatigue. But after his parents repeatedly refused to accept that his son's problem was mental, Chris was subjected to an MRI scan that revealed the cancerous lumps. His mother Samantha, 47, says the "catastrophic misdiagnosis" could have cost her boyfriend life. He urged parents "not to be intimidated by the status of a health professional when your most precious loved ones suffer" and to "trust your instincts and insist on TACs" if you are not sure of the medical advice received.

Chris's "eating disorders" was tumors

Chris's problems started towards the end of last year, but blood tests carried out over the Christmas period failed to shed light on what he really had. Meanwhile, he was so powerless that he "fell asleep in class," Samantha told Metro.co.uk. When hypnotherapy sessions were not successful, a Bridgend clinic specialized in eating disorders was recommended to Chris. Throughout this time, the mother claims to have always had doubts about whether the child's problem was psychological. One day, after Chris's weight had dropped to just over 40 kg, a nurse from Cardiff University Hospital in Cardiff asked him if he had been scanned. Samantha added: "When I said 'no', he looked up to say, 'What are you saying?'" After a week, Chris was subjected to an MRI scan: the teenager had two large cancerous tumors in the his brain and was immediately taken to the Wales University Hospital in Cardiff, where he underwent surgery to relieve the pressure in his skull and perform a biopsy. "One of the tumors was wrapped around his pituitary gland. This was the reason why he was never hungry, "explains Samantha.

The diagnosis and then the trip to Germany

Two weeks after the biopsy, Chris was diagnosed with a cancerous germinoma tumor, along with two smaller lumps, and his chemotherapy began shortly thereafter. For the spinal radiotherapy he needed, the young man had to travel to Germany. For six weeks in Essen, Chris received 25 cycles of proton beam therapy, which target tumors more precisely and cause less damage to surrounding healthy tissues. Samantha claims to be grateful to her "wonderful" family, her friends and Chris's "fantastic" school, adding that she is also "in debt" with the Latch Welsh Children's Cancer Charity association which funded their trip to Germany and the loo living expenses.