Girl, 11, diagnosed with brain tumour after Thorpe Park rollercoaster 'dislodges' mass
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An 11-year-old girl was diagnosed with a brain tumour after riding a rollercoaster at Thorpe Park, which her mum claims "dislodged" the mass and triggered symptoms. Connie Campbell, now 13, fell ill after enjoying the rides on a family day out at the Surrey park and began experiencing headaches and vomiting two days later. Her mum, Tina Smith, 54, believes the intense motion of the ride dislodged the tumour in Connie's brain, causing her to become unwell. Fortunately, this led to the detection of the grade-four cancer just before it could spread to her spine.
Connie underwent brain surgery, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which forced her to miss a year of school. Now, Tina, a mum-of-two, is running a marathon to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research. Tina, a personal assistant from Woodford, London, said: "There’s a difference between getting thrown around a bit for fun and having your head ricochet so hard you don’t feel right after.
"Connie and I didn’t go on those rides again, but her dad and brother did. It was two days later that she started being sick, which seems too much of a coincidence for the two things not to be related. I suspect the rides dislodged her tumour and, if that’s the case, I’m glad because I was told we found it at a good time, before it spread to her spine.".
The family visited the theme park during the August Bank Holiday in 2022, and Connie underwent brain surgery in October of the same year. Connie, a year nine student, has faced developmental challenges due to her condition and treatment. Her mother Tina, who had to postpone her participation in the London Marathon 2024 because of a knee injury, is now ramping up her training to tackle the iconic 26.2-mile course on Sunday, April 27.
