A YOUNG mother has died from a rare brain disease which went misdiagnosed as depression for nearly two years.
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| Hollie Turner, 21, and daughter Myah |
Doctors missed chances to diagnose Hollie Turner, 21, despite her suddenly drinking up to 12 pints of water every HOUR, her family claims.
The keen dancer's health started to deteriorate in April 2013 soon after the birth of her daughter Myah, when she began experiencing an unquenchable thirst and fatigue.
GPs diagnosed the mum, of Canvey Island, Essex, with depression after carrying out inconclusive tests for diabetes and thyroid problems
The situation eventually came to a head when Ms Turner went with family to visit her grandmother Dorothy, 74, in London in December 2014.
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| Hollie was reportedly drinking 12 pints of water every hour in a bid to quench her thirst |
After not drinking for the whole of the journey, Ms Turner was passed out before they arrived and was rushed to hospital where doctors told the family she could have died.
On Christmas Eve 2014, she was given the devastating news from specialists that she had a brain tumour, but it was still another six weeks before she was diagnosed with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH).
LCH is a rare disease when a type of white blood cell is overproduced and begins to spread to other parts of the body, including the brain.
Ms Turner underwent chemotherapy, but her parents say the disease had already caused serious damage.
Ms Turner died at 8.20pm on Sunday at her family home, surrounded by loved ones.
She leaves behind partner Joe Glover and their two-year-old daughter Myah Turner.
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| Hollie and partner Joe |
Friends described the young mother as a "hilarious, loving and a brilliant mother".
Hollie's best friend Melissa Glover, 21, also the sister of Ms Turner's partner, said: "Throughout her illness, while she was suffering, she never once moaned about anything and would always put her family first.
"She was so brave and a huge inspiration to those who knew her.
"Most people moan about a sore throat or a headache but Hollie never complained. She was so strong.
"We are all so proud of how she handled her illness. We are all going to miss her so much. She had an incredible sense of humour."
Raised alongside two brothers and a step-brother, Hollie grew up on Canvey, where she lived with parents Ray Turner and Sherrie Thompson.
Melissa added: "I knew her for more than ten years. Her and my brother got together four years ago - Joe was so in love with her.
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| LCH is a rare disease when a type of white blood cell is overproduced |
"She was the most devoted mum you could ever meet."
Speaking previously, Hollie's mum Sherrie Thompson, a shop assistant, said: "She went in to see the doctors on a number of occasions but they
just kept sending her away with depression medication.
"It was only when she collapsed that they realised how serious it really was.
"She was rushed to the hospital where they performed a lot of tests.
"We had just trusted the doctors to know what was going on.
"We are sure that if she hadn't have collapsed and been tested then she wouldn't be with us."
LCH is not strictly a cancer, but is a cancer-like condition. The extremely rare disease affects only one to two adults in every million.
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