My Sister’s Story

Two years ago, my baby sister faced the unthinkable: at just 29 years old, she was diagnosed with a grade 2 astrocytoma, a tumor embedded in the speech fibers on the left side of her brain. The first hospital could only remove 50% of the tumor and gave her a heartbreaking prognosis — just five years to live.

But we refused to give up. I took her to Penn Medicine in Philadelphia, where we met one of the top neurosurgeons specializing in astrocytomas. Six months after her initial surgery, following radiation, chemotherapy, and an emotional rollercoaster, she underwent a second craniotomy. This time, they removed 99.3% of the tumor.

Today, my sister is thriving. She just welcomed her third baby and is living a full and beautiful life. She continues to have regular MRIs every four months and has a mutation that qualifies her for an FDA-approved treatment in case of any regrowth.

We are profoundly thankful — to the medical teams who gave her a second chance, to the scientific advancements that provide hope, and to each day we get to celebrate her life. Never stop believing in possibilities.

TAGGED WITH: brain tumor, astrocytoma

Opinions expressed within this story belong solely to the author and do not reflect the views or opinions of the National Brain Tumor Society.