Emre had been suffering from terrible headaches for months. His mother, Tiffani, sought medical attention several times, but would always hear the same advice: to stop worrying and that it was nothing.

Tiffani couldn't accept that; she knew something was wrong when she saw her son lying down, screaming in pain and vomiting.

She took him to the doctor every time this happened, but she always left with her questions unanswered, as her son would feel relief after he vomited. He was always diagnosed with a migraine.

The symptoms

Tiffani knew these headaches weren't just migraines. After researching what might be causing her son's pain, Tiffani found a list with symptoms of brain tumors in children. These symptoms included:

• Headache

• Weakness

• Seizures

• Nausea and vomiting

• Blurred vision

• Behavior change

• Trouble balancing or walking

• Abnormal eye movements

She immediately realized her son had several of these symptoms. Tiffani took him to the doctor, and this time was referred to a neurologist. Nothing was diagnosed, and she was even told to "stop asking him daily if he had a headache, as I could be making him think he had one."

Then the unexpected happened

Something happened that changed the whole situation. Emre was drawing a picture of himself and drew a big black mark in the middle of his forehead. He showed his mom that the black mark was where he constantly felt pain.

Following her gut, she put her son on a waiting list for an MRI. After the tests were complete, the horrible confirmation came: Emre had a benign cyst on his pineal gland and an inoperable tumor on his brain. He was placed on another waiting list to have an operation to relieve his migraines.

Emre has since had surgery, and Tiffani is optimistic about her son's recovery.

Early detection of a tumor is crucial to the patient's survival. If your child or someone you know has a constant headache with other symptoms listed, you may want to advise them to get it checked out by a medical professional - you could be saving a life.

This article has been adapted and translated from the original "Menino de 7 anos desenhou um risco preto em sua testa, então o motivo assustador foi revelado no hospital," which was originally published on familia.com.br.