Brave schoolboy, 5, wins medal after fighting a brain tumour the size of a tennis ball

A brave five-year-old has been given a medal and named ‘Little Trooper of the Month’ by the children’s military charity Little Troopers, after being diagnosed with a brain tumour the size of a tennis ball.

Alvie Wright, from Cottesmore, Rutland, was a normal, happy two-year-old when he began experiencing loss of function on the left side of his body. A GP told the family it was a trapped nerve.By March 2024 Alvie’s symptoms had grown progressively worse, and his worried parents rushed him to A&E. He was diagnosed with pilocytic astrocytoma, a tumour which was sitting on the top of his spine and attached to his brain.

While enduring more than a year of treatment, Alvie has been missing his dad, Sgt Steven Wright, who is serving in the British Army and has been away on various exercises, including six months in Mali.To recognise his bravery, Alvie has received a medal and been named the latest Little Trooper of the Month by Little Troopers.

Alvie’s mum, Danielle Wright, 36, who is a preschool worker, said: “Alvie has been super brave and is still going to school, only missing it when he has chemotherapy. He’s really soldiered through everything and I’m so proud of him.

“Alvie was so excited to find out he’d won a medal. Having a brain tumour while also not having his dad here every day has been hard, Alvie is a huge daddy’s boy so he misses him loads. We’re so grateful to Little Troopers, to see him recognised for everything he’s going through. He really is a brave little trooper.”

Alvie said: “I absolutely love my medal, it’s like Daddy’s. I enjoyed showing it to my friends. I’m so proud of myself now. I do miss my daddy lots when we go to hospital, we do lots of things together like playing Minecraft so when he’s not at the hospital with me it’s hard to play.”Danielle added: “The tumour is now smaller than it was when they took half of it out, so we’re hopeful. But he’ll have it for the rest of his life and will need scans every three months. It will either stay stable or he’ll have to keep having treatment. He’s a really brave boy.

Louise Fetigan, Founder of Little Troopers, said: “We were so moved when we read Alvie’s story, and we knew he had to be our latest Little Trooper of the Month. He has been through so much and all while missing his dad who’s been away for long periods of time. He has shown so much strength and bravery throughout his treatment. We hope he wears his Little Troopers medal with pride and looks forward to showing it to his friends at school.”

This month, our Little Trooper of the Month Award has been sponsored by technology group, Thales