Isabella H.
Tennessee
Birth Date: January 28, 2006
Diagnosis: Embryonal Tumor of Brain & Spine
Isabella's Story
In March 2018, Bella began to have headaches that she just couldn’t shake. She was also seeing double. I took her to the eye doctor where we learned she had astigmatism in both eyes. She was fitted for glasses and those helped with the headaches and vision. She received a MRI just as a precaution. The MRI came back clear.
In July, Bella started noticing that her vision would go completely out when she would stand up and take up to 10 seconds to come back. Her Dad & stepmother made an appointment for an eye specialist. The vision issues started to subside. Her shoulder began to hurt, and within the last couple of weeks of September she began to have issues with mobility and numbness in her right arm. She had blood work, which came back normal. Another MRI was scheduled for October 5th for extra examination before her October 11th eye specialist appointment. It was thought that Bella was suffering from symptoms of Chiari Malformation.
Bella had the MRI at Vanderbilt’s Childrens Hospital. She was under anesthesia this time, and I waited for a little over 2 hours to see her in recovery. I was told that there was a mass in Isabella’s spine & spotting on her brain. Everything was pretty much a blur from then. She was immediately admitted into the hospital. A biopsy was scheduled for Monday October 8th.
She was in ICU for 24 hours after the surgery. She recovered well from the surgery, and was discharged on October 10th. We met with the Oncologist on October 17th, and he laid out a 9-month course of treatment that is centered on radiation and chemotherapy. It was decided that Proton Laser Therapy would be best. This type of therapy targets just her spine and brain without having to expose her entire body to radiation. She will receive 30 radiation treatments as well as Chemotherapy once a week.
On October 29th Bella's brain swelled with fluid. She had to have an unplanned surgery to place a temporary shunt to re-route the spinal fluid and relieve the pressure on her brain. Finally on November 15th she was deemed strong enough to start treatment. There is still a long road ahead, but our girl is strong and determined.
"Bella received her quilt yesterday & it’s beautiful!! She absolutely loves it!! Thank you SO much!!"
