Isabella shares her story on brain tumour care

Published: 18/12/2025 08:51

As Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital (RACH) celebrates becoming a centre for excellence in providing outstanding care for children diagnosed with brain tumours, alongside The Royal Hospital for Children (RCH) in Glasgow, one of their young patients has decided to share her experience. 

Isabella (12), from near Laurencekirk, was taken to hospital in Aberdeen on 27 December last year after falling unwell. When a CT scan showed pressure on her brain, she was rushed to Glasgow for emergency surgery and it was there she received her brain tumour diagnosis.  

She has been receiving chemotherapy in Aberdeen since January and continues to attend Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital once every week. Hearing the news that the two hospitals have received the prestigious Tessa Jowell Centre for Excellence for Children designation, she was only too pleased to highlight the difference the teams have made to her. 

Isabella explained: “Both Aberdeen and Glasgow hospitals have been amazing. All of the nurses, doctors and neurosurgeons have been great. I have always felt comfortable around them and I know that I can ask them anything. 

“Seeing Dr Herd lots and having a good relationship with her has always helped. She’s always been so sweet and caring. She makes sure I understand everything and I am so grateful for that.  

“Lewis, one of the outreach nurses has always managed to cheer me up. If I’m nervous he’ll help. He comes out to the house to do bloods to save us a trip up to the hospital. “As well as the staff who help there is also Sebastian the therapet. He is so relaxed and just brings a smile to your face. With his cute Christmas jumpers and his little puppy eyes he does always help. The play team always make sure there are activities to do whether they bring things to my room or I go and join them for some crafts. We always have a good time.  

“Not only have the hospital helped me they have also helped my whole family by offering support.” 

This accolade places both hospitals among only six paediatric centres across the UK to achieve this honour. Isabella’s mum Joanne shared her feedback too. 

“Both teams have been fantastic. Although it was really difficult in the beginning, we knew we were in the right place. The teams in hospital, the outreach nurses – everyone has been great. They just think of things before you even know you need to, they’re always on hand and there’s always someone to speak to. 

“Fiona is amazing and we know the team in Aberdeen have discussions with colleagues in Glasgow every week. All the experts work together around treatment planning and it is really reassuring,” Joanne commented. 

Isabella raised over £25,000 for The Archie Foundation in May this year. A Berries and Blossom Day at Castleton Farm saw the family offering farm tours to see the cherry blossom and enjoy a big party.  

The Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence for Children designation follows a rigorous assessment by the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM), a convening body with over 13 member organisations and delivers transformative national programmes supporting the NHS neuro-oncology services in the UK. 

Aberdeen and Glasgow were designated as a Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence after working for the past 18 months to implement innovative new solutions. The centre’s neuro-oncology team showed an exceptional commitment to service development, bringing together a wide number of specialties to deliver impactful changes.  

The designation follows a rigorous review process which examined multiple areas of the patient pathway in detail, together with patient feedback collected by The Brain Tumour Charity.  

TJBCM’s panel of neuro-oncology experts particularly commended Glasgow & Aberdeen for excellence in their: 

• Impressive access to chemotherapy across a large geographical area, allowing patients to access treatment close to home. 

• Strong integration of teams across the network, providing patients with truly cohesive, wrap-around care throughout the treatment journey.  

• Exemplary radiotherapy service delivered by a highly skilled team. 

• Strong rehabilitation and play services, with proactive follow-up by neurorehabilitation specialists and excellent access to outpatient therapy, reflecting a strong commitment to meaningful recovery beyond treatment. 

Dr Fiona Herd, consultant paediatric oncologist at Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, commented: "Isabella is an outstanding young woman and we are very privileged to provide her care. We’re incredibly grateful to Isabella and her family for sharing their story following the good news about being recognised as a centre of excellence. This is testament to the fantastic team work that goes on and the many dedicated members of staff who contribute to this.”