Crewe teen's long Covid was actually brain tumour

Kane had to undergo three operations after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour

A teenager who doctors initially thought had long Covid turned out to have a brain tumour, his mother said.

Kane Allcock, 15, from Crewe, Cheshire, repeatedly had migraines after testing positive for coronavirus in December.

His mother, Nicki, said she "knew something wasn't right" and told a nurse in April about a dent on her son's head.

Kane had a seizure after he was admitted to hospital and doctors then found a large non-cancerous tumour.

The 15-year-old had to undergo three operations at Liverpool's Alder Hey Hospital before being discharged in May.

Mrs Allcock said she had taken him back and forth to doctors in the previous months as his headaches got worse but neurological observations did not pick up any problems.

The family were told they were likely caused by long Covid but Kane began being sick and struggling to walk.

Kane Allcock's football side helped raised more than £3,000 for charities after his operations

In April, the teenager, Mrs Allcock and her husband Steve went to Blackpool for a football tournament with his side Crewe FC but he was too unwell to play.

They took him home and straight to the A&E at Leighton Hospital in Crewe, where, after blood tests, Mrs Allcock said they were told "he was still just suffering from migraines".

But she spoke to a nurse who "seemed to take us more seriously" and Kane was admitted.

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Doctors found a build-up of pressure on his brain from excess fluid and the tumour which led to the emergency surgery in Liverpool.

The family stayed in the local Ronald McDonald House, a site which provides free accommodation to families with sick children.

After Kane's return home, the family, his football club and school raised more than £3,000 for Alder Hey Children's Charity and Ronald McDonald House Charities.