Miranda's Story
By Mary
Bloomington, MN

If you knew Maranda today, you'd probably never guess what she went through when she was nine years old. Today, Maranda is a 23-year-old college senior, and an energetic, caring, serious young woman. In 1996 when Maranda was nine, she suddenly began having grand-mal seizures. Doctors quickly recognized something "unusual" in the right ventricle of her brain. There was speculation whether it was a malformation of blood vessels or a tumor or something else, but the diagnosis was clear - it needed to be removed, and quickly. It was at that time that my family became well acquainted with Children's Hospital-Minneapolis.

My name is Mary and I'm Maranda's mom. Memories of 1996 are so deeply ingrained in my mind, I doubt I'll ever forget those times - nor would I really want to. Suffice it to say, our lives felt like they had been sucked into some sort of confusing and terrifying whirlwind. It was hard to breath, let alone think clearly. Maranda, our only child, had been basically healthy, with only allergy shots for a medical history. ll this sudden medical 'attention' was very frightening and foreign to us.

While Maranda's actual surgeries were at Abbott Northwestern (they had neurosurgical equipment that Children's didn't have), she was a patient at Children's. We became well acquainted with the PICU and Oncology wards. The doctors and nurses were unbelievably helpful. Their caring, personal nature helped all of us cope with the unknown, while their professional and expert manner helped reassure us that she was getting the best care possible!

To make a long story short - Maranda had a rare brain tumor, a neurocytoma. It was originally misdiagnosed as a PNET, but later found to be a BENIGN neurocytoma. She did have residual problems from the surgery - she needed a shunt, she lost her left field of vision in both eyes, she lost movement on her left side of her body, and her language cognitive skills went from advanced for a fourth-grader to that of a preschooler, etc. All this being said, it was the love and care of the excellent staff at Children's that gave us direction, hope, and helped us stay focused on helping Maranda fight her way back.

As I mentioned earlier, seeing Maranda today, you'd never know what she went through. 1996 was our miracle year. A year of rehab and growth. A year of thankfulness. Our experiences at Children's changed all of us, and helped mold Maranda into the wonderful young woman she is today. As I write this, she is preparing to travel to Texas to student-teach in an impoverished school district. Her life circles around children and giving back. She has always been, and continues to be, our greatest joy. We are so very proud of her, what she's endured, overcome and who she is today. We know we'll be blessed by who she is tomorrow as well!

During this season of miracles and thanksgiving, we want to say THANK YOU Children's Hospital! God bless you all!