A Quebec woman named Celyn Harding-Jones was diagnosed with a brain tumor called a colloid cyst, when she was 19 years-old. It has been almost 2 decades. The tumor has been growing for the past 18 years. A colloid cyst is a slow-growing cyst found near the middle of the brain. A colloid cyst obstructs cerebrospinal fluid which builds up and causes pressure to the brain. Celyn has two young children. She says it’s getting increasingly difficult to do simple things like caring for her 2 small children.“ it’s ruining my life,” Harding-Jones said. Harding-jones had to quit her job due to the extreme symptoms she was having. She said the extreme fatigue and memory loss has increased over the past 6 years. She couldn’t even respond to text because she wasn’t sure what the words were. “Usually what happens in terms of progression and growth of a colloid cyst over 60 years… is the same amount of progression that’s happened to me in the past 5 or 6 years,” she said.
Her deteriorating condition sent her on a mission to find a neurosurgeon who could perform an endoscopic surgery. Harding-Jones has been to multiple neurosurgeons. None of the neurosurgeons has done a surgery to remove a colloid cyst like hers. She finally found a doctor who would do the surgery and who had the right experience. Harding-jones applied to the Quebec Health insurance board to cover the cost but she was rejected. The agency told Harding-Jones that endoscopic surgeries are offered at the CHUM. However, doctors at the hospital considered the surgery risky. The only other option was to do a craniotomy. As the agency rejected her, her friend launched a gofundme campaign, which Harding-Jones described as her “ray and hope.” As of Sunday the Fund had just suppressed the $100k mark.
