The parents of an 11-year-old girl who died from a brain tumour in 1975 have opened up on the 'raw' and 'devastating' battle that their daughter and family went through 48 years ago.  

Annette Wright was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 1975 while living in New Zealand with her family.

Her parents, Mary, 80, and John, 79, from Aldbrough St John, near Darlington, are taking part in are fundraising event for the charity Brain Tumour Research.

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The Walk of Hope at The Town Moor in Newcastle on Saturday, September 30 will raise vital funds to enable research.

Speaking 48 years after her daughter passed away, Mary says that Annette's death is still "raw" and is pushing to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research.

The Northern Echo: Annette WrightAnnette Wright (Image: FAMILY)

She said: “Annette was such a beautiful child, I’ll never forget what she went through. Her brain tumour was inoperable, and the doctors said they couldn’t do anything for her. It was devastating and it’s still very raw after all this time.”

In 1975, Annette was regularly sick and wasn’t able to put on any weight.

Mrs Wright added: “She also started to get headaches so I took her to the doctor who thought Annette had a blockage in her stomach, but that wasn’t the case.

"Soon after, she collapsed in the bathroom at home and was taken to hospital in an ambulance, it was awful. At the hospital, Annette started choking so she was rushed into theatre.”

Because MRI scans had not been invented yet, the surgeons were unaware of Annette’s brain tumour.

The Northern Echo: John and Mary WrightJohn and Mary Wright (Image: FAMILY)

It was only during surgery that they discovered a mass on the top of her spine.

Because of the sensitive location, they were unable to remove it.

Annette died on May 29, 1975.

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Annette's dad, John Wright, has now spoken out about the lack of understanding of brain tumours back in 1975 but has also called on donations to support ongoing research of the field.

He said: “There was no awareness of brain tumours at that time so it was very frustrating for us. At least scans are now available to detect them, which shows how important these developments are.

"There is such a need for more knowledge and research into this devastating disease. The lack of funding and research into brain tumours is shocking and more needs to be done.”