Courageous Burnley woman Claudia Laird campaigning for better healthcare practice after medics almost failed to spot her brain tumour

Brave Claudia Laird appeared on ITV’s Granada Reports, to talk about what she went through after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and also her mission to raise awareness of the condition that affects more people under the age of 40 than any other cancer.

Viewers heard how Claudia, who has resumed her training to be a paediatric nurse, has started a fund raising campaign to help people affected by brain tumours and also for research into earlier diagnosis because as little as one percent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.

Claudia said: “After what I went through to get my diagnosis I don’t want the same mistakes to be made again. It took me over nine times to get that diagnoses.

"I went to opticians, GP and A and E just to push to say I really don't think something is right here. I want to see some changes, some research, funding into brain tumours.”

The NHS lists the symptoms of a brain tumour as:

• Headaches.

• Seizures (fits)

• Persistently feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting) and drowsiness.*mental or behavioural changes, such as memory problems or changes in personality.

• Progressive weakness or paralysis on one side of the body.

Claudia has also become an advocate to help young people and adults going through similar experiences and to raise further awareness to all including health professionals. Claudia, who is training to be a paediatric nurse at the University of Manchester is a former pupil at Read Primary and Clitheroe's Ribblesdale High schools.

Other events on the cards include taking part in The Twilight walk in London, a festival and a family rounders tournament.

Claudia has praised her family, including her parents Lynda and Baron, sisters Courtney and Poppy and brother Max for their love and support. She is especially grateful to her mum, who knew intuitively that something was seriously wrong with Claudia, and persisted until her daughter received a brain scan and the tumour was spotted.