Mother Appeals to Meta After Instagram Account Chronicling Daughter’s Brain Tumour Battle Is Permanently Disabled

A mother from Essex is urgently calling on Meta and Instagram to restore an account that documented her young daughter’s fight against a rare brain tumour, after it was permanently disabled in what she describes as an automated error.Louise Paterson-Rees, who created and managed the Instagram page

@Dotties_journey, says the account was wrongly flagged as belonging to a child under 13. The page, which had more than 4,000 followers, served as a detailed diary of her daughter Dottie’s treatment, recovery, hospital life, fundraising efforts and messages of hope for other families facing childhood brain tumours.

Dottie was diagnosed on 4 September 2020 at the age of four with an inoperable bithalamic glioma (also known as bilateral glioma of the thalamus). She underwent a craniotomy shortly afterwards at Great Ormond Street Hospital to relieve pressure and obtain biopsies, followed by 63 doses of chemotherapy over 18 months that finished in May 2022. Now around 10 years old, she is among the small percentage of patients who have survived five years with this aggressive tumour. The family continues to manage ongoing effects and hospital appointments while raising awareness of childhood cancer.

Louise has stressed that the Instagram account was never operated by Dottie herself. “The account was never my daughter’s personal Instagram account. It was always run by me as her mum. It was a diary of her journey and a place where thousands of families supported one another,” she said. “We appealed straight away and I even sent Meta my driving licence to prove I am the adult who owns and manages the account, but it has still been permanently disabled.”Because the accounts were linked, Louise’s personal Facebook profile — which she had held for around 18 years — was also suspended. The family has lost access to years of photographs, conversations, awareness campaigns and community connections. Branding and links on the family’s website, dottiesjourney.com, and in fundraising materials pointed to the Instagram page, creating practical difficulties for ongoing support and outreach.

The website continues to document Dottie’s story, share updates and direct people to a GoFundMe campaign and Dottie’s Trust, which helps with her care and supports related charities. The Instagram account had become a vital hub for sharing experiences and building solidarity among families affected by similar diagnoses.

Louise is asking Meta for a manual human review of the decision. “This isn’t just a social media page. It’s years of our daughter’s story. It contains memories we can never replace and represents a community that has stood beside us throughout the hardest time of our lives,” she said. “We’re simply asking Meta for a human being to review the case.”The family first publicly noted the loss of the accounts in late July 2026 and has continued seeking help. Supporters have urged Meta to intervene, highlighting the human cost of automated moderation systems when applied to parent-run medical awareness accounts.

Dottie, from the Grays area of Essex, has previously featured in local media and charity events, including appearances linked to awareness campaigns and Britain’s Got Talent-related projects. Her story has drawn support from organisations such as Children with Cancer UK and others focused on childhood brain tumours.As of 4 August 2026, the Instagram and linked Facebook accounts remain disabled.

The family continues to document Dottie’s journey via their website and X account

@Dotties_journey while hoping for a resolution from Meta.

https://dottiesjourney.com/