Albie Bayliss-Watts: Grieving family raise funds for tumour research

Albie's parents were heartbroken by his death and are now focused on fundraising

The family of a toddler who died from an aggressive brain tumour have raised £40,000 to fund research for a cure.

Albie Bayliss-Watts, from Didcot, Oxfordshire, was two when he died in 2021, having been diagnosed with the cancerous growth the year before.

His mothers Lauren and Hayley set up a group called Albie and Beyond to raise awareness and funds in his name.

Albie's tumour was so rare it could not be identified by doctors, his parents said, and now they want to help others.

Albie's parents described him as "always smiling and happy" and said he did not seem unwell until late-on in his illness.

"It was near Christmas time 2020 he started vomiting and becoming really lethargic - and he wouldn't even move," said Lauren.

Albie had initially appeared to be getting better after surgery to remove most of the tumour

She said his diagnosis shocked doctors who had performed multiple tests and scans that revealed a tumour "the size of a tennis ball".

Surgery appeared to have been successful and his condition improved, allowing him to be moved out of intensive care.

"It was just such a shock to get that phone call... that says it's definitely cancer, and it's aggressive, and we have to move fast," said Lauren.

She said he started chemotherapy but ultimately it was unable to save him, leaving his parents "with broken hearts" and prompting them to turn to a new mission of raising awareness and research funds.

Albie and Beyond can be found on Instagram and Facebook, as well as on the Brain Tumour Research website, where people can donate, see updates from the family and upcoming events.

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