The Linz student had to endure two brain surgeries and countless painful chemos because the cancer had grown back. The family supports the suffering girl and tries to give her strength so she can carry on.
What 16-year-old Julie from Linz has endured over the past two years would be too much even for two lives. Until March 2020, the determined high school student (annual average of 1.2 to 1.5) was a healthy and cheerful girl who found her fulfillment in sports in addition to school. A talented gymnast, successful kickboxer, ambitious archer and enthusiastic cheerleader, she was also very active in her spare time.
Unbearable headache
But then came the corona pandemic – and in the same month that Julie’s mother Belinda lost her job as a waitress, the then 14-year-old developed a severe headache. “The symptoms were so bad that she sometimes vomited for 48 hours straight,” says Belinda. But the doctors reassured suspected teenage headaches and migraines – a magnetic resonance imaging (MR) was not ordered.
Extremely rare cancer variant
Finally, Belinda and Julie sought help from an ophthalmologist. “She recognized that something was wrong with the left optic nerve and immediately sent her to the hospital,” says the 53-year-old. That was on June 12, 2020 – just five days later, the girl underwent surgery. Diagnosis: brain tumor. “We then had to wait seven weeks for the histological findings. On August 14 it was clear: it is an astroblastoma. A rare variant of cancer, of which there have been only two cases in 35 years,’ says the mother. At that point, Julie had already been transferred to Wiener Neustadt, where chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation therapy began three days later.
Solidarity haircut
Oral chemo followed at three-week intervals until September 2021. “When Julie’s hair fell out later, it was another psychological blow.” Mama Belinda and Julie’s older sister Jeannette (32) had a stripe shaved from the back of their heads after the main operation out of solidarity. After the hair loss, Papa Thomas had a stubble shave.
tumor back
But then in October 2021 the next shock: “The tumor was back, it almost ripped the ground from under our feet and Julie had to have another operation. A Rickham reservoir, a plastic part, was inserted into her head through which the chemotherapy is administered,” sighs the mother, who is always by her side: “But she doesn’t give up on herself, she definitely wants to finish high school and study medicine and then work in research.” Julie can complete most of her education online. She did great with all her degrees.
Uncertain future
Chemos are still ongoing and the decision on how to proceed will be made on November 30th. “Because her cancer is so aggressive, more therapies may be needed. But we are all very, very confident that everything will be fine!”
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Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
