A newborn baby, Joey Sharp, narrowly survived a rare and aggressive brain tumor that was only discovered when doctors examined a small infection under his fingernail. His mother, Sam Sharp, 39, from Penicuik, Midlothian, gave birth to Joey in 2020. Just 11 days later, she returned to the hospital with him after he struggled to feed, lost weight, developed jaundice, and began experiencing intermittent twitching. During the examination of the infection, an ultrasound revealed a brain tumor as the underlying cause of his symptoms. Joey underwent three brain surgeries and nine rounds of chemotherapy, with two operations to remove the tumor and a third to address scar tissue that had formed, which was preventing effective treatment of his seizures. At one point, he experienced more than 30 epileptic seizures a day and required feeding tubes to eat. He also participated in clinical trials to help researchers better understand chemotherapy treatments for infants. Specialists who analyzed the tumor found it to be a glioblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer that is currently incurable. On August 4, 2021, near the end of his treatment, the family received the hopeful news that his latest scan showed no evidence of disease. Now five years old, Joey lives with cerebral palsy, limited use of his right hand, a leg brace, and uses a wheelchair for longer distances. Despite these challenges, he has a love for life, enjoying swimming and time with his siblings, eight-year-old Carly and one-year-old Robbie. He has also begun attending school. Sam Sharp is calling on the Scottish Government to increase investment in brain cancer research, with a goal of achieving this by 2029. She has signed up for the Edinburgh Marathon next year, with donations going to the Scottish Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence in an effort to find a cure for glioblastoma. Scotland’s Health Secretary, Angela Constance, stated that the government shares the desire to improve cancer survival and is working to raise awareness and improve early diagnosis of cancers in Scotland. A cancer strategy was published in 2023, focusing on less survivable cancers, such as brain tumors, and improving outcomes for patients. Scotland is also the only nation in the UK with a dedicated cancer strategy for children and young people, and they continue to explore new treatments and technologies. Dr. Karen Noble, director of research and policy at Brain Tumour Research, emphasized that no family should have to face the uncertainty Sam and her family experienced when Joey was diagnosed at such a young age. She called for urgent investment in research into childhood brain tumors to improve outcomes for children like Joey.