Student, 20, who was hours from death because of huge brain tumour is saved by ride on a ROLLERCOASTER

Tumour diagnosed when she was 12 - after it had grown to size of satsuma

She had been to Thorpe Park in Surrey the weekend before

Hanging upside down caused fluid on her brain to spread out, easing the pressure that could have killed her

Doctors thought surgery might leave her in a vegetative state

She had to relearn how to walk, talk and eat



Hours from death with a brain tumour, Emma Bassett went on a rollercoaster ride – and it saved her life.

The schoolgirl had no idea of the danger she was in when she visited a theme park days before a hospital appointment to discover why she was suffering bad headaches and dizziness.

But when she finally saw the doctors, they told her she had a tumour so big it had stopped vital fluid moving around her brain. The rollercoaster had relieved the build up of pressure by briefly redistributing this liquid.

Survivor: Emma Bassett was hours from death when she was diagnosed with a huge brain tumour at 12 - but has now made an incredible recovery

This had bought her precious extra days, and she was able to undergo an operation the next day. Even so, doctors warned her that this could leave her in a vegetative state.

But eight years on, Miss Bassett has stunned them all by making a complete recovery.

She has learned to walk and talk all over again, and is about to begin a career as a primary school teacher. Miss Bassett was 12 when she started to feel unwell and was referred to hospital for tests.

The weekend before the appointment, her mother Gina took her and a group of friends to Thorpe Park, where she rode on the Nemesis Inferno rollercoaster.

Life-threatening surgery: Doctors at St George's Hospital in Tooting told Emma's parents the tumour had been growing in her brain since she was five

At the time she had a satsuma-sized tumour blocking the flow of cerebrospinal liquid in her brain. Doctors later said the tumour had been growing since she was six and she had just hours to live when she went on the ride.

Miss Bassett, now 20, from Twickenham in west London, said: 'It was such a shock to discover I'd had this tumour growing inside me, probably for years, without me knowing anything about it.

Brain scan: The tumour has grown to the size of a satsuma - and was so advanced that young Emma was just hours from death

'The doctors told my parents that I would need 24-hour care, because the tumour was wrapped about my brain stem, and the surgeons thought removing it would cause irreparable damage.

'After the operation, I couldn't walk, talk, or even feed myself. But I was determined I'd walk again and beat the tumour. It has taken years of hard work, but now, I'm finally able to do the things I've always wanted to and live the life I've always wanted to lead. At my latest scan, there was no sign of the tumour returning, so it's great news.'

Miss Bassett has had numerous operations over the past eight years, spending a year with her leg in a splint, then two years walking with a crutch.

Long journey: Miss Bassett had to relearn how to walk, talk and eat after the surgery - which doctors feared could leave her in a vegetative state



Lucky to be alive: Miss Bassett is now training to be a primary school teacher and campaigning to raise awareness about the early signs of brain tumours The Nemesis Inferno at Thorpe Park, which Emma rode and which may have saved her life She then had to have special soles put into her shoes to support her walking. But now the only sign of the tumour is a slight paralysis on the left side of her face. She said: 'I have had so much hydrotherapy, physiotherapy and speech therapy to get me where I am today. The doctors thought I might make slight improvements after my operation, but they have since told me they never expected me to come anywhere near as far as I have.' Miss Bassett has now teamed up with the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust to champion their HeadSmart campaign, which aims to raise awareness of how to spot the early signs of a brain tumour.