"We Overlooked Myla's Smile and Dismissed Her Headaches as Roblox-Related—Now We're Sharing Our Heartbreaking Story to Warn Other Parents"

MYLA Lilly Broadey-Meears was like any typical 10-year-old girl; she loved Taylor Swift, cheerleading and shopping with her mum – and was nicknamed ‘Flump’, after her favourite sweet.

But out of nowhere, the “chatty and funny” little girl died, just five months after she started showing subtle symptoms that her parents now know to be . Having unknowingly brushed them off as harmless, mum Chantelle Broadley wants to raise awareness to spare other families the agony they have faced.

Myla Lilly Broadey-Meear, pictured with mum Chantelle Broadley, died at 10 years old, months after an earth-shattering diagnosisCredit: SWNS Mum-of-three Chantelle put Myla’s headaches down to suspected eye strain from playing on her iPadCredit: SWNS

Mum-of-three Chantelle Broadey, 29, tells Sun Health: “Looking back I wonder whether I could have done more but I guess that’s parental guilt.

“Every afternoon at school pick-up time, I still expect her to run through the door.”

When Myla first began showing symptoms, on a family holiday to Primrose Valley, in Filey, North Yorks., Chantelle thought it was odd, but didn’t worry too much.

It was August 2025, and just a month earlier, the youngster, from Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, had been running around at her school sports day.

“While we were there she started suffering from and was wearing shades all the time,” Chantelle says.

“She didn’t want to take part in any activities which was really out of character.

“She loved a climbing wall but really struggled on the first step, so we noticed her getting a bit off balance and clumsy.

“The day after the holiday we went to a tribute act but she wasn’t interested and wanted to come home.

“My mum and I wear glasses so we thought maybe that’s what she needed and it was down to eye strain or playing too much on her iPad, or something like that.

“We thought it could be dehydration too but we never suspected anything so serious.

Another symptom was that her face had started to droop on one side, especially when she smiled. We thought she just had a new smile

Chantelle Broadey, Myla Lilly Broadey-Meears's mum

“We took her to the doctors but they just said to keep an eye on things and monitor her.”

Chantelle booked Myla in for an eye test just a few days later, in case she needed glasses.

But her mum, Amanda Brown, who took Myla to the appointment, was told there was something much more serious going on.

“I think they gave her a full MOT and spotted something straight away,” says Chantelle.

“They told my mum to call me and Myla’s dad and gave us a letter to take to A&E which they told us not to open.

Myla was like any typical 10-year-old girl; she loved Taylor Swift, cheerleading and shopping with her mumCredit: SWNS In August 2025, Myla began behaving differently on holiday (pictured), uninterested in joining activities and being clumsyCredit: SWNS

“We went to Grimsby Hospital and a CT scan revealed the tumour – she was blue-lighted to Sheffield Hospital that night.

“Three days later, she had an operation to remove 60 per cent of the tumour.”

Myla’s surgery took 15 hours.

Chantelle said: “We were told it was only going to take a couple of hours so I was a wreck. I have no idea why it took so long but it was a very anxious wait.

“We were hopeful because at that point we didn’t know the size of the tumour.”

It was discovered during the op that Myla had a 7-10cm long – the second most common type of primary

They are fast-growing, likely to spread, and are difficult to remove in their entirety because they don’t have defined borders, according to the Brain Tumour Charity.

Signs include double vision or difficulty controlling eye movement, headaches, fatigue and nausea.

They can also lead to changes in facial expressions, or a change in one side of the face.

Chantelle recalls: “Another symptom was that her face had started to droop on one side, especially when she smiled.

“We thought she just had a new smile and didn’t think much to it.”

Surgery changed our chatty, giggly girl

Chantelle, who works for a construction company, said her little girl was not the same following the operation.

“We’ve been grieving her since then really,” she says.

“Before, she was always on the go and couldn’t sit still for two minutes.

She never deserved what she got, no child does. She was the most amazing, funniest, beautiful daughter I could ever wish for

Zak Meears, Myla's dad

“But the op left her with left-side weakness and she was bed-bound.

“From that surgery, she didn’t come out the same.

“She wasn’t the chatty little girl that she had been, she just stared at the ceiling all the time and wasn’t really with it.

“We had her good days, where we did get a few giggles out of her, but it would literally be 10 minutes of a day and then that would be it.

“She wasn’t the same after the surgery so she didn’t really know what was going on.”

Chantelle was told Myla’s aggressive tumour would need radiotherapy at Leeds St James’s University Hospital.

Chantelle says Myla wasn’t the same after the surgery to remove her tumour – which revealed it was cancerousCredit: SWNS Myla’s dad Zak Meerrs, 30, said: ‘She was the most amazing, funniest, beautiful daughter I could ever wish for’Credit: SWNS

The day before she started treatment, her little brother Tommy was born, leaving Chantelle juggling caring for her newborn son and poorly daughter.

Chantelle says: “She had radiotherapy in Leeds and underwent 30 rounds of it, so it was very intensive.

“It was incredibly difficult. I also have another son from a previous relationship with Myla’s dad, so I had two boys I also needed to be there for – but Myla needed me also.”

Myla had six weeks of radiotherapy between September and November, but doctors said her care would become palliative.

“We were always told it was incurable but she battled for six months and that is something she can be proud of,” says Chantelle.

“She never really came round from a general aesthetic from an MRI scan on January 6, so we weren’t able to really celebrate her birthday.

Honouring Myla’s legacy

“At this point we were just trying to make her as comfortable as possible at home. She was surrounded by family when the time came.”

Myla passed away on January 15, four days after her tenth birthday.

Chantelle says: “I can’t really accept what has happened yet or get my head around it.”

She has been fundraising for The Brain Tumour Charity and set up a Facebook page, Together for Myla , to help other parents know what to expect.

“Because we didn’t, nobody really prepares you for what’s to come,” she says. “We had amazing support from St Andrew’s Hospice.

“I just want other parents to be aware of the signs and symptoms. These children need to start being given hope and more research needs to be done.

“I hope in this lifetime there is a cure, just wish it was available for our precious girl.

“I promised Myla I would let people know how brave she was, so this is why I want to get her story out there.”

Myla’s dad Zak Meears, 30, said: “She never deserved what she got, no child does.

“She was the most amazing, funniest, beautiful daughter I could ever wish for, and such a loving big sister to her young brothers.

“Her name and smile will never be forgotten, forever in our hearts.”