(Jamaica Observer) One of Aneacia Neita’s worst fears after her daughter Gabrielle Fennell removed a tumour from the centre of her brain in 2017, was that she would have lost her memory.
But two Fridays ago, when the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) results were released, Gabrielle secured a place at the much sought-after Ardenne High School in Kingston.
Following the brain surgery on November 7, 2017, Gabrielle, who celebrated her 11th birthday last month, spent the next 21 days in intensive care at the Nuttall Memorial Hospital in Kingston.
Gabrielle who wrote with her left hand prior to the surgery had to learn how to write with her right hand because she had developed weakness on that side of her body.
The Jamaica Observer was told that when she returned to school months after the surgery, her teacher at the time no longer had to write notes and take a picture of it and send to the child’s mother, because Gabrielle had insisted she did not want to be left behind.
Post-surgery, she also had to learn how to walk all over again.
Gabrielle’s story is one of sheer determination not usually seen in one so young.
Barely two months after she began attending Portmore Missionary Preparatory School in St Catherine, Gabrielle had a fainting spell while heading to class on October 23, 2017. She received medical attention at the nurse’s station. Her mother was summoned to school and took her to the pediatrician.
By this time, her daughter’s heart rate was irregular and she was subsequently referred to a cardiologist whereafter an ECG and echocardiogram were done, she was said to be fine. But before the end of the week, Neita said, her only child began complaining that she was seeing everything twice.
Luckily enough, Fennell had a pair of glasses that she had never worn, having been told that she had slight astigmatism — a common vision condition that causes blurred vision.
“She had them from August and she had never worn them, but to my surprise over that same weekend she was in the glasses. She fell asleep in them, it was like she could not operate without the glasses and I felt that something was wrong,” Fennell told the Observer.
On October 30, 2017, her pediatrician recommended that Gabrielle undergo a CT scan. When the scan was completed the technician told Neita that he would have to consult with the doctor, before giving her the result.
Even though the technician reassured her that it was a regular procedure, Neita said she felt something was wrong. After consulting the doctor, the technician told Neita that he had to do the scan again but this time with contrast.
The mother became more anxious. Her fretting got worse when the child’s doctor wanted to see her.
“Any smart person knows that if the doctor wants to see you in person it is not good news,” Neita said. She was right.
When she returned to the doctor’s office, she was told that a very huge tumour was growing inside Gabrielle’s brain and they were not sure if it was cancerous. At that point, she said she blanked out.
“What came to mind was the worst case scenario but then at that moment, it was as if God sent an angel to me. When I was leaving the doctor’s office there was this parent who was there. It was the first time I was seeing her but when I was leaving she said: ‘Mommy, I want to have a word with you. I don’t know what you are going through but God sent me here to give you a message today and he said to tell you that everything is going to be alright’.”
“Those words are what I rest on for the entire journey,” she continued.
Unable to secure a date to do an emergency magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedure the same week, the mother managed to secure a date the following week. When she received the results, Fennell’s pediatrician recommended her to a neurosurgeon.
She was not comfortable with that first neurosurgeon, believing that he appeared pressed for time and did not examine her daughter thoroughly.
“When I came out I was furious. I searched the Yellow Pages and called Dr Roger Hunter who answered the phone himself. I explained everything to him. He said that was a large tumor and told me ‘you cannot wait, you have to come and see me today’,” she further explained.
The consultation lasted for two hours. During the examination, it was revealed that Gabrielle’s eyes were crossed and her balance was off, among other things.
“Dr Hunter showed me the scan and told me that he could have gotten out everything. The previous neurosurgeon said he was not sure [if he could have removed the entire tumor]. Dr Hunter examined everything and set the appointment for November 4, because he said it was urgent and based on the size, a simple sneeze could kill.
“The Friday, which was the third of November, we did the pre-blood work and everything in preparation for the surgery. Her father had indicated that he did not want it on Saturday and that he needed some more time,” she said.
November 7, 2017, was the longest day of Neita’s life, according to her. The surgery lasted for 12 hours and 18 minutes.
The Observer spoke with Dr Hunter who said that when he met Gabrielle days before the surgery, she was exhibiting signs of very high pressure inside her head. He concluded that very large tumor was inside the ventricles of Gabrielle’s brain.
“…This was causing tremendous displacement of the surrounding brain and obstruction of fluid consequently causing a severe rise in the pressure inside her head, affecting her vision and also causing severe pain and general unwellness, and so we had to act quickly and promptly,” Dr Hunter explained.
Noting that Gabrielle speaks and write quite well, Dr Hunter said children with such conditions as tumour would normally have to sit out an entire grade.
“It was absolutely remarkable how she was able to adjust with all the healing after surgery to be able to sit her PEP exam, a completely new exam and gaining highly proficient throughout the core subject areas and a 97 on the ability test is simply remarkable. I am very proud of Gabrielle’s achievement and the difficulties she had to overcome. I’m humbled to have served her, “ the doctor said.
Principal Etta Walker of Portmore Missionary Preparatory School was equally impressed with Gabrielle’s progress.
“When I got the PEP results last week and I look where she was placed, I was really rejoicing and saying ‘God you are great’. I said to her, ‘you are a miracle child’. When her mother showed me the video of her learning to walk again after the surgery, that was something and you know, look at her today. I am proud of Gabrielle and I know she will do well,” Walker gushed.
“This is to show us that you can’t put a limit on God. It doesn’t matter who you are or what stage you are, or what age, sickness will come but faith is what is going to pull us through,” she said, adding that the school family had never left Gabrielle an inch.
Even though Gabrielle has not fully recovered, her sixth grade teacher, Nicole Richards said the child does not want to be pitied.
“I often have to remind myself that she has some challenges because she does not act that way. She is always volunteering; she doesn’t let anything hold her back. She’s quite a resilient student, she is very motivated and always want to do her best,” Richards noted.
Prior to the surgery, Gabrielle was involved in gymnastics and dancing. Despite the fact that she was not placed at her first choice, she said she was happy with her placement at Ardenne High, one of the island’s top schools.
Admitting that she had been looking forward to sitting the Grade Six Achievement Test, she said she was upset when the announcement was made to replace the exam with the PEP. But after sitting the first paper, the seemingly shy student said it was manageable. The final paper was “a relief”.
The soon-to-be high school student said her mom was her inspiration throughout her ordeal.