A New Person

When I was 6, I was diagnosed with a choroid plexus carcinoma. This cancer is not only rare but also primarily found in infants. 

I was diagnosed and underwent resection within 24 hours. After surgery, on my 7th birthday, I had a popsicle. That night, I suffered a brain bleed and was rushed into surgery to place a VP shunt. I was then put into a medically induced coma. 

I was paralyzed on the left side of my face, right torso, and left leg. I had to relearn how to do everything, from seeing to walking and talking. The Hayley I now know is not who I was supposed to be. I was supposed to be an athlete, a scholar, a wife, and a mom. 

Though it may look wildly different than what was imagined when I was born, I am still all those things. They have come with much struggle, heartbreak, and maybe not the gracefulness expected, but I did it. I played water polo in high school, I have my master’s, am a BCBA, and am happily married to the love of my life. I am not a mom yet, but I hope to be someday. My brain tumor did ruin my life, but it has changed it in so many beautiful ways.

TAGGED WITH: Choroid Plexus Carcinoma

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