Gracie's story

It all started with what might have been a bad cold. Gracie started losing her balance all the time, falling a lot at school and having headaches. Her parents called their doctor, who set up an MRI to check if her shunt (which had been put in place for hydrocephalus) was still working properly.

After the MRI, neurosurgeon Dr. John Ruge told them that Gracie had a 5 cm tumor on the base of her cerebellum. He wasn’t sure what it was but recommended removing it within the next few days. The world seemed to stand still as her parents realized that their then 4-year-old daughter, who had fought so hard at the beginning of her life with hydrocephalus, now had a tumor the size of a golf ball at the base of her brain.

After surgery, Dr. Ruge let them know he removed all of the tumor and was very confident and happy with how everything went. A couple of days later, they learned the tumor was a benign pilocytic astrocytoma and had a very small risk of recurring.

Since her surgery, Gracie has been feeling well and progressing wonderfully in school. Her parents hope that is what life will continue to look like for her.