Allana Prosser
Great Britain- A Teenager's Secret Battle with a Brain Tumor
- Persistent Symptoms and Misdiagnoses
- A Life-Altering Discovery
- A Journey of Struggle and Strength
- A Shocking Truth
- Urgent Surgery and Hope
- Proton Therapy: A New Hope
A Teenager's Secret Battle with a Brain Tumor
Unbeknownst to her, a teenage girl had been living with a brain tumor for six years. Doctors had long dismissed Allana Prosser's debilitating headaches and fatigue as cheese allergies until the day her eye stopped opening.
Persistent Symptoms and Misdiagnoses
Now 17, Allana had endured daily headaches that often left her unable to function after medication. From the age of 11, simply sitting up caused her to fall asleep. Prosser also struggled with balance, weight gain, an involuntary eye twitch, and eventually incontinence. Misdiagnoses included overactive bladder and an allergy to cheese.
A Life-Altering Discovery
Finally, in 2015, an optometrist referred Allana to a specialist eye clinic, where doctors discovered a tumor known as a craniopharyngioma. She underwent immediate surgery to remove part of the growth and is now preparing to travel to the United States for proton therapy to shrink and stabilize what remains.
A Journey of Struggle and Strength
When Allana's troubles began, her mother took her to their GP, who sent them home with painkillers. She developed an insatiable thirst, consuming four to seven liters of water daily. "My family knew something wasn't right," Prosser recalls. Her vision blurred, her weight increased, and her coordination worsened. Yet, doctors remained baffled.
By the time she was 16, Allana had grown concerned about the absence of her period, which her peers had all begun experiencing. However, medics advised her to return when she turned 18. Her symptoms had reached a debilitating low point. The once-active teenager suffered from urinary incontinence. "I got to the point where I couldn't go to work, couldn't go to the shops, couldn't go anywhere where there would be people," she says.
Prosser was prescribed oxybutynin, a medication for overactive bladder. In 2015, her eye began twitching uncontrollably and eventually stopped opening altogether.
A Shocking Truth
Facing a potential death sentence, 17-year-old Prosser was finally given the shocking truth about her condition. CT and MRI scans revealed an epithelial brain tumor - a craniopharyngioma.
The growth was located near the pituitary gland and was pressing on the optic nerve of her right eye. This type of tumor is most commonly diagnosed in children, teenagers, and young adults under 21. Its proximity to vital brain structures means a growing craniopharyngioma can cause a myriad of problems, including hormonal imbalances, vision problems, weight gain, and stunted growth.
Urgent Surgery and Hope
Allana underwent an urgent operation to drain fluid from her brain, which allowed for her tumor to be removed. "My second operation, to remove the craniopharyngioma, was on May 28, 2015," she says. "They removed as much as they could without causing any life-threatening damage."
"Unfortunately, they had to leave a small piece behind, about four centimeters. But that's nothing compared to the 15cm it was before the surgery."
Prosser was told that she would never regain use of her eye, but she refused to accept the prognosis. She became determined to defy the doctors and restore function to her eyelid.
"I managed to do it," she says. "I persevered, tape every day, trying to get my muscles working again... and it worked."
Proton Therapy: A New Hope
The proton therapy that awaits Allana in the United States has the potential to be highly precise. This advanced form of radiation therapy works by targeting and destroying cancer cells with accelerated charged particles. The proton beam can be focused on the tumor with minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
While proton therapy will not eliminate Prosser's craniopharyngioma entirely, stabilizing the tumor will ensure that she is able to live a normal life.
The UK's National Health Service will cover the cost of Allana and her mother Katrina's three-month stay in America. However, any additional family members who wish to visit, including Allana's 21-month-old sister Esmé, will have to pay their own expenses.
Allana and Katrina will also need funds for everyday living costs. Allana's mother has launched a GoFundMe page in the hope of raising some extra funds before they depart for the United States.
Despite her trials, Prosser says she feels blessed. "The past six months have been the hardest for my family, my friends, and most of all me," she says. "I have been truly blessed with love and support, and I would never have got through it all without you.
"That is why I will fight this, I will get back up every time I fall, to prove to you all and to myself that I am a fighter. I can beat this terrible disease."
