An 11-year-old girl from Rugby has been diagnosed with an aggressive childhood cancer after medical professionals initially attributed her symptoms to tonsillitis. Armaie Burrows-Pitt, known to family as Melly, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Burkitt lymphoma on July 3, after a prolonged period of misdiagnosis and a 15-day hospital stay.
Initial Symptoms and Misdiagnosis
Armaie began experiencing extreme tiredness and loss of appetite while on a family holiday in Devon in late May. Her mother, Nikki Burrows-Pitt, 38, and stepfather Andy grew concerned as her condition worsened. Despite multiple visits to GPs and Warwick Hospital, doctors insisted she had tonsillitis and prescribed antibiotics, assuring the family she was "perfectly fit and healthy."
Nikki, an administration worker, described her frustration: "We went to Devon at the end of May and she had us all worried as we could see she was going downhill. She was tired and didn't want to play much. She would take herself off to the corner of the park."
On May 31, Nikki's mother took Armaie to Warwick A&E, where she was told it was a viral infection. A GP visit on June 2 resulted in a tonsillitis diagnosis. Despite finishing antibiotics, Armaie's condition did not improve, and she became increasingly bedridden, struggling to eat and drink.
Pushing for Further Tests
Nikki, who also noticed pain in Armaie's shin and groin, suspected a gymnastics injury, but her instincts told her something more serious was wrong. On June 10, she insisted on a blood test at Warwick Hospital, saying: "I'm not leaving until you do a blood test."
Medical staff admitted Armaie and initially suspected sepsis, tuberculosis, or an infection contracted during a family trip to Egypt in February. She spent 15 days at Warwick Hospital, which was being led by Birmingham Children's Hospital, before being transferred there. On July 3, she was finally diagnosed with Stage 4 Burkitt lymphoma.
Understanding Burkitt Lymphoma
Burkitt lymphoma is a rare and rapidly developing form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that originates in white blood cells, specifically B-cells. The aggressive cancer predominantly affects children and can multiply extremely quickly, spreading throughout the body. In Armaie's case, the disease has spread to her spleen, liver, and bone marrow.
Nikki reflected on the ordeal: "It was all very traumatising, having your daughter in hospital and not knowing what's wrong with her for all those weeks. It was very frustrating because every single GP I saw kept saying she was fine."
She added: "Children with symptoms like this probably get dismissed, which is frustrating. You'd think they would assume the worst case scenario first and rule it out, so to be left three or four weeks without a diagnosis was heartbreaking."
Treatment and Fundraising
Armaie is now undergoing six months of intensive chemotherapy. Her family has launched a fundraising page to help with expenses and to support Birmingham Children's Hospital and Ronald McDonald House, where her stepdad is staying.
Her aunt, Emma Whyte, 36, said: "The main aim is to take Melly on lots of trips this year, we've had to cancel a lot of holidays because of this. She wants to go to Disneyworld Florida and Lapland. But we also want to give back to Birmingham Children's Hospital and Ronald McDonald House for all their work."
Emma noted that the fundraising target was initially £500, but donations have already reached nearly £9,000. "In a strange way, it's brought us all together in the worst time imaginable," she added.
