Hello, My Name is Laura Macri. When I was 15 years old, two completely incredible things happened to me. First, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and then, I met Dr. James Rutka…

My journey began in the Summer of 2006 with symptoms that included short-term memory loss, confusion, repeating myself or mixing up my class schedule. Trying to hide these symptoms from family and friends had me feeling exhausted and frightened all the time - and while they all knew I was stressed and not myself, the relief I felt when I finally came to my Mum and Dad was overwhelming. I knew I was at a point where this was something that wasn’t going to just go away, and I needed help to carry on.

They scheduled me immediately for an appointment with our family doctor, where he conducted some tests, and referred me right away to a neurologist. Once it was confirmed that I had a tumor on my right temporal lobe, I started taking medication to control seizures that had developed also.

In addition to the physical symptoms of these changes in my brain, the emotional effects for all young patients are also something that should really be talked about too. What was happening to me? Would my former “normal”, happy life be something I would never get back? It was like a nightmare that didn’t stop, my body was betraying me, and there were times when I felt that I might not make it.

My parents were tireless in looking for options, and getting me to a place where I could get healthy, and offered the best care possible - and it was then we were referred to Dr. Rutka, Co-Director of the Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre at The Hospital for Sick Children.

It was a day that changed my life. You often see a movie or read a book where the main character talks about a “life-changing” meeting…and sometimes we never take the time to believe it, or think about it too closely…but this was it, I was really living it.

When I first met Dr. Rutka, he made me feel so comfortable and not only did my family and I know we were in good hands, we felt the relief and confidence of knowing that an expert who really cared was in charge. He talked directly to me, and explained everything in a way that I could understand what was going on. My parents left the decision up to me if I wanted Dr. Rutka to operate, and I said yes without any hesitation.

My surgery took place on April 26th, 2007 with Dr. Rutka and his amazing team working on me for 5 hours. The operation was a success and my tumor was removed. The only regret I have now is that I will be turning 18 in September, and Dr. Rutka and Sick Kids will no longer be able to monitor me. I want to thank the Doctor and his staff at Sick Kids for the great care and support they gave me, and my whole family.

The future is something that I am now able to believe in, and look forward to. My plan is to follow in my Dad’s footsteps and train to become a hair stylist, and one day have my own salon.

I was truly blessed to have an angel like Dr. Rutka watching over me!

*Each year in Canada, 300 children under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with a brain tumour. Brain tumours are the second most common type of cancer in children and the leading cause of cancerous death in children under 20 in Canada. The establishment of The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre has been a vital resource in the search for new answers and new treatments for patients with brain tumours. For more information or to make a donation visit http://www.sickkids.ca/Research/BTRC/index.html