An eight-year-old Calgary girl is walking on her own for the first time in several months following the completion of a life-saving brain tumour operation, but more funds are still needed to cover the $150,000 cost of the procedure.
The disease is most commonly inherited through neurological disorders, affecting about one in 3,000 people worldwide. The tumours of this disorder are non-cancerous, but they grow on nerves, impacting both speech and motor skills.
That’s why Olivia’s family reached out to Dr. Paul Klimo, an experienced surgeon from Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., who specializes in brain tumour removals with minimal risks.“She woke up, she was just trying to catch her breath at first, but her first question she asked us was if she could do her math exercises because she loves to check her memory,” Natallia said.
The facial drooping on the right side of her face has now significantly reduced, her speech sounds much clearer with less blurring and two fingers on Olivia’s right hand have begun moving unconsciously, marking the first movement in that hand in over four months.“I’ve never seen my daughter this chatty and full of life. Dr. Paul has mentioned that she is very likely to be cured in the future, and these signs are incredibly promising,” she said.
“So they’re not harmful in the way that cancers are, but that doesn’t mean they’re uncomfortable, they can cause a lot of pain,” said Elana Loftspring, external relations coordinator with the Children’s Tumor Foundation. “But I managed to graduate with honours, I still got a job, it was challenging and NF still affects my life, but just be strong, you’re stronger than you think, we’re born to cope with this and to be able to survive it.”Coleman scores twice as Flames torch Golden Knights 4-1'That's news to me': Montreal man gets letter from Quebec government saying he's legally dead
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