Lauren Macpherson (29) was diagnosed with a serious illness after a heavy suitcase fell on her head on a train. After the incident, due to severe pain, she had to be taken off the train and taken to the hospital, where doctors initially feared a broken spine or a concussion. However, examinations revealed a brain tumor, writes the portal.
Doctors told her that she may have about 12 months to live. “When the doctor said that, I understood right away, because I had various symptoms for a long time and everything fell into place,” she said. For a long time, she suffered from extreme fatigue, bad memory, emotional fluctuations, stomach and headache pains. She thought it was symptoms of ADHD. “You think you’re going crazy. I had days where I couldn’t get out of bed. No one understood,” she said.
Later, her doctors refined the diagnosis to a rare type of tumor – oligodendroglioma. The average life expectancy with this disease is approximately 10 to 12 years. “All I asked for was to live to be 30,” she said. In October, she underwent a difficult six-hour conscious brain surgery, during which about 80% of the tumor was removed. After the operation, she had problems with speech and memory. “I couldn’t talk or unlock my phone,” Lauren explained.
Her condition is gradually improving, but she still has difficulty reading, writing and finding words. Despite this, she tries to live life to the fullest, planning a wedding and a trip to Italy for her 30th birthday. “It’s incurable and I know it will kill me one day,” she added bluntly.
However, at the same time, he believes in the progress of medicine. “I’ve been approved for a new drug that is already changing lives. It gives me hope.” the young woman concluded. Lauren decided to help others and supports research. She managed to raise more than £2,800 (around €3,300) by walking 10,000 steps a day.
