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After 12 brain surgeries, a British woman’s daughter woke up every morning for a while thinking she’s still on vacation in France.
Rakie Ayola (48) was on holiday with her family in France when she suddenly noticed spots on her daughter Tansy Smethurst’s body.
The panic-stricken mom-of-two immediately rushed her 13-year-old daughter to the hospital where doctors diagnosed her with a cyst on the brain – a result of the genetic disorder Neurofibromatosis type 1.
According to Genetics Home Reference, it’s a genetic condition that causes tumours to form along nerves in the skin, brain and other parts of the body.
“We thought the spots were due to having a dual heritage,” Rakie told The Sun. “I’m black British and Adam [Tansy’s dad] is white. We never thought it could be a sign of a genetic disorder.”
The French doctors successfully removed the brain cyst but Tansy developed a serious infection which left her with severe short-term memory loss, Mirror news reported.
In the months following the diagnosis, a courageous Tansy underwent another 11 brain surgeries. Her brain had been so affected by the surgeries that for a time the young girl couldn’t remember anything after the day of her diagnosis. She woke up every morning thinking she was still on holiday in France.
“Tansy is very well now but from August to December 2013 she had 12 brain surgeries. She was so brave,” Rakie says.
While still in hospital, she even struggled to remember what her hospital room looked like.
“Once she was up and walking she would go to the bathroom and come back and not recognise her [hospital] room – even though hers was the one decorated with balloons and the room next door was empty,” Rakie, an actress who plays Hermione in the Harry Potter stage play in London, told The Sun.
Although Tansy has recovered and has been giving the all clear by doctors, the 13-year-old still suffers from short-term memory loss and sometimes asks her family the same questions over and over. As a result she also has learning difficulties.
“She still has some memory issues, for example when we drive to see family in Wales she will ask several times on the journey where we are going,” Rakie says.
Rakie has now become a sponsor for the charity Jeans for Genes Day to help parents dealing with similar genetic disorders.
Sources: mirror.com, thesun.co.uk, dailymail.co.uk
