A girl who quit her beloved dance lessons after a GP said her aches and tiredness were growing pains was later found to have a golf-ball sized tumour in her throat. Tamelia Felway, now 11, from Uxbridge, West London, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in November 2025 and began radiotherapy on May 8.
Three-year struggle for diagnosis
Cheryl Barber, Tamelia's mother, first became concerned in September 2022 when her daughter showed signs of tiredness and 'aches and pains'. The keen dancer quit her hobby, began gaining weight and experiencing mood swings, prompting Cheryl to seek advice from their GP. She claims she was reassured the issues were just 'growing pains' and 'puberty' and that Tamelia's blood tests were normal.
In September 2024, Cheryl noticed a lump on her daughter's throat. After more than a year of tests and appointments, the lump was removed. Medics at Great Ormond Street Hospital confirmed Tamelia had thyroid cancer in November 2025, and she began radiotherapy on May 8.
Mother's instinct proved right
Cheryl says she 'trusted her gut' to push through the 'lengthy' diagnosis process and is urging other parents to do the same. The full-time mum has set up a GoFundMe to help pay for trips to hospital while also caring for her two-year-old daughter, Lily.
Cheryl said: "It was like the light just disappeared from her eyes. She was having a lot of symptoms for a long time like tiredness and aches and pains in her legs and after tests that was put down to other factors like growing up, puberty and childhood stuff."
"She had danced since she was four years old but she just couldn't do it anymore because she was just too tired after school. She didn't want to go anywhere anymore, she was too tired but after being told it wasn't anything sinister I just thought it was just how she was growing up."
Lump discovered at home
Cheryl described the moment she found the lump: "She was putting on all this weight and couldn't understand why and I thought well it was because she wasn't dancing anymore but the reality is that it was something in her thyroid. I just noticed a lump one Saturday morning when she walked downstairs and it was just there - big and bold in your face."
"It was in the middle [of her throat] but leaning more towards one side and it was like a golf ball. Immediately alarm bells rang, I felt completely sick and went into a massive panic."
Cheryl says Tamelia has two different types of thyroid cancer but she isn't sure what stage it's currently at. Doctors believe the cancer could have been in Tamelia's thyroid for three years.
Urging parents to trust their instincts
Cheryl said: "[Doctors] think the cancer could've been there for three years but at that time I was kind of led to believe it wasn't anything sinister. I was told from the blood tests and examinations of her legs and back that everything was all clear and okay."
"We can't be 100% sure those symptoms were connected but I can't really see any other reason for them. I'm frustrated and angry that there was nothing pointed in any direction for doctors to pick up when I knew in my gut something wasn't right."
"I didn't believe it was growing pains but the process of going through anything right now is so long. Just follow your gut because I knew it was something else so that's why I carried on."
