Schoolboy diagnosed with a brain tumour after suffering from headaches

* BAILEY YATES HAD INITIALLY BEEN TOLD HIS SYMPTOMS WERE DOWN TO A MIGRAINE * BUT AFTER BEING RUSHED TO HOSPITAL IN PAIN, DOCTORS MADE THE DIAGNOSIS  * THEY SAID HE NEEDED SURGERY FOR HIS

NON-GERMINOALOUS GERM CELL TUMOUR  * SURGEONS SPENT 2-AND-A-HALF HOURS REMOVING 2 SMALL LUMPS FROM HIS BRAIN * HE IS NOW SET TO UNDERGO 3 MONTHS OF INTENSE CHEMOTHERAPY AS TREATMENT By

STEPHEN MATTHEWS FOR MAILONLINE Published: 05:12 EDT, 5 December 2016 | Updated: 06:58 EDT, 5 December 2016 A twelve-year-old boy who thought he was just suffering from a prolonged headache

actually turned out to have a deadly brain tumour. Bailey Yates, from Newcastle, had initially been told that his two weeks of discomfort and vomiting were down to a migraine. But after

being rushed to hospital in pain, his family were left devastated when he was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour. Doctors warned he required immediate surgery to treat his non-germinoalous

germ cell tumour. Surgeons worked for two-and-a-half hours to remove two small lumps measuring four by three centimetres from Bailey’s brain.  His mother, Cherie, 33, said: 'I thought

they said he was going to have a problem with his eyes. Never in all my years did I think it could be a tumour. 'My legs gave way when they told me - I was a mess. 'I was putting

the other kids to sleep and I would stay up all night crying, and then put a strong face back on in the morning. 'Our lives have changed forever, but we are now starting to get our

heads around it. 'Bailey has smiled every day since. He has never grumbled and complained, and he is keeping everyone else going. 'If it had not been for Bailey, I think we would

have fallen apart.' However, the operation to remove the tumours from his brain was just the beginning of treatment for Bailey. He is now set to undergo three months of intense

chemotherapy before being scheduled in for radiotherapy sessions.  Each week he receives five-day blasts of treatment before being allowed to recover at home.  The family say they are now

beginning to come to terms with the news and that Bailey is the glue holding them all together. WHAT ARE GERM CELL TUMOURS? Germ cell tumours occur mostly in the area above the pituitary

gland or in the pineal region of the brain.  There are two main types of germ cell tumours: germinomas and non-germinomatous germ-cell tumours.  The most common type is the germinoma,

responsible for around 70 per cent of all cases.  Non-germinatous germ cell tumours are sometimes called mixed malignant germ cell tumours.  They are also called 'secreting

tumours' because they may secrete a substance called alpha-fetoprotein and a hormone called human chorionic gonatotropin. Symptoms of germ cell tumours depend on the part of the brain

where the tumour is located. But often they include:  * headaches in the morning * nausea and vomiting in the morning * blurred vision * unusual movements of the eyes Source: About Kids

Health Doctors have said there is a 95 per cent chance that he will make a full recovery, although he will remain susceptible to cancer for the rest of his life. But instead of letting his

illness get him down, he has helped set up a GoFundMe page to support his family during treatment as his parents are both currently not working. Family, friends and even strangers have

donated and sent messages of support and more than £500 has already been raised. The family say the response has been 'overwhelming' and has opened their eyes to supporting others

in future. Ms Yates said: 'It has made us want to help others more. You don’t realise how much help people need at times like these until it happens to you.' She added that she

wants Bailey's story to serve as a warning to others to never ignore any symptoms - no matter how small they seem.   'If you think something is wrong - no matter what the doctor

says - don’t sit back and ignore it,' she said. 'No-one expects their kids to get cancer, but from something so small as headaches and vomiting it turned out to be a brain tumour.

'Everything for us is on pause for now, but we will get Bailey back on his feet.' To find out more about more Bailey’s story and donate, visit

www.gofundme.com/xr-help-bailey-beat-cancer