Overcoming the Odds

As she receives the news, her heart sinks. She gives a smile, but her heart is breaking. This is the news that no teenager wants to hear.

Cancer? I can’t have cancer.

As her mom breaks down, she gives a confident smile.

I can do it. I can beat this.

In March, Senior Reese Gallant was diagnosed with Anaplastic Gagiloma. This rare form of brain cancer is very aggressive and life-threatening. 

“The hardest part when you think you’re going to die is what you’re gonna do with the time you have left,” Gallant said.

In sixth grade, Gallant began to experience migraines a week at a time, until high school.

“Then started to get to be a month at a time, six weeks at a time,” Gallant said.

Throughout that time, Gallant visited many doctors and the ER. Eventually, doctors decided on an MRI. That same day, Gallant was called in, given a diagnosis and sent to Cooks Children Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas.  

“Treatment was an eight-hour surgery to remove the tumor, and then it was six weeks of radiation on that spot,” Gallant said. “Now it’s just follow-up MRIs to make sure that nothing grows back.” 

The tumor growing on the right back portion of Gallant’s brain was the size of an orange. After surgery, Gallant noticed an immediate difference.

“I immediately noticed that the pressure was gone from my head and also for about a week or two, my vision was really blurry because of where the tumor was, that’s where all the nerves connect to your eyes,” Gallant said. “After the surgery, it was mostly just all blurry for a while, but now it’s just a blind spot left from the surgery.” 

Despite radiation and surgery, there is a chance that cancer could return. This is why Gallant will have mandatory MRI’s every two months. 

“It affects me when I plan for the future,” Gallant said. “Sometimes I’m scared to go ahead and do things or set things up because I’m worried that it won’t turn out in the end.”

Despite this reality, Gallant has a positive outlook on the diagnosis. 

  “The disease is a one in a million chance of getting it, so you feel like a one in a million person when you do have it,” Gallant said.

Gallant states that while she understood that her family was there, she didn’t fully grasp that until the diagnosis

“They did everything,” Gallant said. “Everyday texts with ‘how are you feeling’ and every holiday, just so much love. My mom still takes me to Fort Worth, and she probably will for the rest of our lives to get my MRIs. Everything they do is through love. They support me so much.”

The community also supported Gallant and her family through the challenging ordeal.

“Up until the day of the surgery, I got text messages,” Gallant said. “I got flowers and cards in the hospital after surgery. So many families bought us meals. The love that we received was so awesome. I’m very thankful.”

Gallant’s best friend, senior Jordyn O’Leary, said that finding out the diagnosis came as a shock. She didn’t want to believe her friend had cancer. 

“I don’t even remember what happened, but Reese came to my house, and we said goodbye before she went up to Dallas,” O’Leary said. “Reese and I did get super close over that period of time because I realized just how easily I could’ve lost her and how much worse her cancer could’ve been. It made me step back and appreciate the life she still has today.”

Gallant’s mother, Robyn Brooks, states that not knowing the outcome was the most challenging part of the ordeal. When doctors broke the news, Brooks said that Reese handled it like a champ.

“Not knowing what was going to happen afterward,” Brooks said.” Or if the treatment was going to work was hard. I was very upset, but she took charge and handled it so well.”

Despite all of this, O’Leary learned one thing from Gallant, and that was to be positive. 

“She was never negative,” O’Leary said. “Reese never let anyone feel sorry for her. She knew that she could beat it.”