Newborn baby's nail infection led to brain tumour diagnosis

A mother has revealed how her newborn narrowly survived an aggressive form of brain cancer after doctors investigated a tiny infection in his fingernail.

Sam Sharp, 39, gave birth to her son Joey in 2020, but after just a week at home, he had to go back to hospital after he struggled to feed, lost weight and developed jaundice.

The newborn from Penicuik, Midlothian, also began twitching intermittently.

When doctors investigated a small infection in one of his fingernails, an ultrasound revealed it was a brain tumour causing his symptoms.

Ms Sharp, an orthopaedic nurse, said: "Once we were in hospital, doctors noticed what looked like a tiny infection in one of his fingernails.

"It was so small, almost like a grain of sand under the nail. We had no idea then that within hours we'd be facing every parent's worst nightmare."

Joey underwent three brain surgeries and nine rounds of chemotherapy afterwards, with two operations to remove the tumour, and a third to help alleviate the scar tissue that remained, which had prevented drugs from treating his seizures.

At this point, he was suffering from more than 30 epileptic seizures a day and needed feeding tubes to eat.

He took part in clinical trials to help researchers gain a better understanding of chemotherapy treatment for babies.

Speaking of her son's battle, Ms Sharp said she had been told that without surgery that day, Joey was unlikely to survive.

As Joey's diagnosis took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, Joey's father, Steven, had been sent home under hospital restrictions.

Ms Sharp said: "I was sitting there alone with our tiny baby while doctors explained what they'd found. As a nurse, I understood enough to know how serious the situation was, but nothing prepares you for hearing words like that about your own child."

Steven was allowed back in before Joey was taken to theatre. Ms Sharp said: "Watching your newborn baby disappear through those theatre doors is something no parent should ever have to experience."

Specialists who took samples of the tumour discovered it was a glioblastoma, an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer.

Towards the end of his treatment, in August 2021, after receiving his final chemotherapy, Joey's family were told his latest scan showed no evidence of disease.

Ms Sharp said: "We'd been preparing ourselves to hear that he would probably need more surgery after chemotherapy, so hearing those words was overwhelming. For the first time in months, we felt like we could finally breathe again."

Now aged five, little Joey has cerebral palsy, with little use of his right hand, wears a leg brace and uses a wheelchair for longer distances.

Despite his circumstances, his mum said he has a love for life, enjoying swimming and spending time with his siblings, eight-year-old Carly and one-year-old Robbie. He's also started school.

Calling him "our little ray of sunshine," she said he's "the kindest, funniest and most loving little boy you could ever meet. He fills every room with laughter and never lets anything hold him back… He approaches life with so much determination and happiness."

Ms Sharp called for more investment in brain cancer research from the Scottish government, with a deadline of 2029.

She will be running the Edinburgh Marathon next year, with donations going to the Scottish Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence in a bid to find a cure for glioblastoma.

Scotland is the first nation in the UK to have a dedicated cancer strategy for children and young people.

(c) Sky News 2026: Newborn baby's nail infection led to brain tumour diagnosis