A schoolgirl's rugby ball-sized tumour was almost mistaken for period pain by medics. Doctors initially thought Izzy Pickering, from the Midlands, had appendicitis or period pain when she went to A&E with back pain, stomach aches and vomiting in November. It wasn't until the 14-year-old's parents insisted on further tests during a second visit to the emergency room that medics discovered she had ovarian cancer. Her mum Lisa Pickering is now calling for children to be tested for the cancer. She said: "You hear of children with leukaemia but you don’t hear of young girls with ovarian cancer. "We want to get the word out that ovarian cancer can affect girls as young as 14 and not to take symptoms for granted. READ MORE: Mum, 32, pregnant with twins given just years to live after 'only cancer case of its kind' "Children should have access to screening from when they start their period. "They should not have to wait until they are sexually active as this is proof you don’t have to be to get cancer in that area." Currently, there is no national screening programme for the cancer. There are 7,500 new cases of ovarian cancer every year in the UK. The NHS says that ovarian cancer mostly affects women over 50. Izzy, from Sawley, Derbyshire, started to feel unwell last November with severe stomach ache, back pain and began vomiting. Parents Lisa, 52, and Wayne Pickering, 51, took her to her local GP where doctors initially thought it could be appendicitis. Izzy was rushed to A&E at Queen's Medical Centre hospital, in Nottingham, for tests that same day. Medics thought her pain could be due to her period and she was prescribed antibiotics for a possible infection in her oesophagus. But weeks later, Izzy’s vomiting continued and she became frightened to eat in case she was sick. Lisa and Wayne took their daughter back to A&E where doctors ruled out appendicitis. But the parents refused to leave the hospital without more tests to confirm what was wrong. Lisa said: "Something wasn’t right, we know our daughter." Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the BirminghamLive newsletter here . Izzy’s temperature spiked and she was sent for an MRI scan before doctors told the family that the schoolgirl had stage two ovarian cancer in April. Close friend Sarahjane Giles, 45, said: "Doctors found a rugby ball-sized mass in her ovary with a stalk growing in the middle which was causing her back pain. "It was so big, all her organs had been pushed backwards and it had attached itself to tissue at the bottom of her back." Izzy underwent surgery to remove the tumour and began bleeding out on the operating table. Sarahjane said: "They had to cut her in so many ways as the stalk had attached itself to so many things. "They had to pack her stomach, leave her open, and put her in ICU to stop the bleeding." Izzy was given blood transfusions overnight and was well enough to return to the operating theatre the next day where doctors removed what they believed was all the cancer. She was put in an induced coma for five days because 'one small movement and her stitches would have ruptured', Sarahjane said. Doctors slowly took Izzy off her sedation medication and she began eating small amounts of food and taking her first steps. The family were told Izzy needs three months of chemotherapy five days a week to remove what was left of the disease. But doctors are hopeful Izzy - who loves singing, acting and theatre - will beat the disease with the chemotherapy. Sarahjane said: "She will lose her hair and doctors said she will struggle to have children in the future. "It’s a lot for a 14-year-old child to take on. "What makes it really sad is that Izzy is a miracle baby herself and has always wanted to be a maternity nurse. "But she has a lovely group of friends who have been going to visit her and her parents have been there every step of the way." Izzy is taking time off school during her three-month treatment, which started on April 25. Her parents are having to take unpaid leave from work so they can take their daughter to hospital and support her during her recovery. Sarahjane has now launched a GoFundMe fundraiser, which has so far raised more than £8,300 of the £10,500 target. She is also running the half-marathon in Carsington Water, Derbyshire, on June 21 for the same cause. Any funds raised will help buy wigs for Izzy and other things she may need. Sarahjane said: "Izzy is really bubbly, outgoing and the kindest and most caring young lady. "She loves makeup, handbags, singing and is in a drama group. "Lisa and Izzy will often go to the West End to see shows and were supposed to be going on a family holiday to Turkey before her diagnosis. "Any donations to help them through this difficult time will make all the difference." A spokesperson for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said that, according to its data, 'current evidence does not support population screening for ovarian cancer, even in adults, as there is insufficient evidence that screening reduces mortality and may lead to unnecessary interventions'. A spokesperson for Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham said the hospital did not comment on individual cases. Click here to see the fundraiser.