Toddler diagnosed with brain tumour after mum spotted change in her colouring in

Jessica Macrae spent weeks in intensive rehab after life-saving surgery left her unable to move or speak — but the determined four-year-old is now back on her feet and enjoying life again with her family.

A mother has said she is “so incredibly grateful” to medics who saved her daughter’s life and helped her learn to move and speak again after she suffered a brain tumour.Four-year-old Jessica Macrae, from Bearsden in East Dunbartonshire, underwent surgery at the Royal Hospital for Children (RHC) in Glasgow last year after a tumour was discovered on the back of her brain.

This was followed by 12 weeks of intensive neuro rehabilitation, which saw her go from being unable to speak, eat or move, to getting her life back and enjoying every minute with her family.

Her parents Jude Pender, 40, and Andrew Macrae, 43, first noticed “worrying changes” in Jessica’s health in the summer of 2025.

“What started as headaches and feeling sick in the mornings gradually progressed to problems with balance and coordination,” Ms Pender said.

“It was very incremental, but there were lots of things that didn’t feel right.

“Her colouring in went from being fine for her age to very messy, she disengaged from gymnastics because she said it made her dizzy, and I noticed her walk had changed.”

Jessica and her physio, Fiona Norval.

After an initial visit to Accident and Emergency in August and several GP appointments, Jessica’s parents returned to the RHC in October when her symptoms worsened.