A young girl, initially assumed to be “short for her age,” was ultimately discovered to have a brain tumor that had hampered her growth. Jane O’Toole, the mother of 13-year-old Faith, became concerned when she noticed her daughter was significantly shorter than her peers. Initially turned away by the GP and told to give Faith more time to grow, Jane persisted and sought further assessments a year later.
A blood test raised suspicions, leading to an MRI scan, which revealed that Faith had craniopharyngioma, a rare benign brain tumor. The tumor had grown through her optic nerve, affecting her pituitary gland, which is responsible for releasing hormones that control height.
Doctors thought Faith O’Toole was just short for her age, but the teenager found out she had a rare brain tumour. After a nine-hour surgery, the youngster was left without sight in her left eye.
Jane O’Toole took 4ft 11in Faith to the GP after she noticed her daughter was much shorter than her friends. However, she was turned away and told she needed time to grow.
The tumor, believed to have been present since Faith’s conception, had affected her pituitary gland and optic nerve. Tumors pressing on the pituitary gland can disrupt the release of growth hormones, resulting in stunted growth, as explained by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Faith underwent a challenging, nine-hour surgery to remove the tumor. Jane, who is also of shorter stature at 5ft 2in, expressed her astonishment at the situation, stating, “You never, ever think it’s going to happen to you. It’s amazing how it happens.”
Jane further shared, “We’re fortunate that we caught it, as it could have resulted in complete blindness. It could have been much worse, but it appears that the tumor has been influencing Faith since conception.”
After a bone scan and subsequent checks indicated delayed development, Faith was referred to a specialist. Three months later, an MRI scan confirmed the presence of the brain tumor.
Faith had to wait another four months before she could undergo surgery due to the cancellation of her original procedure.
Faith has now recovered from meningitis and is currently undergoing her post-surgery hospital recovery.
Sadly, Faith woke up from surgery without sight in her left eye. Jane shared the harrowing experience, stating, “It was absolutely horrendous.” The medical team expressed concern that Faith could entirely lose her vision due to the tumor’s impact on her optic nerve. Recalling something Faith had said before the operation – “I would rather be dead than be blind” – Jane recounted the
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