PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A Pinellas County toddler was diagnosed with a golfball-sized brain tumor last month.
Chelsey Stillwell said her 2-year-old daughter, Callie, started vomiting and had a fever in December.
At first, doctors thought she had a stomach bug.
"The only thing we caught was her throwing up and having these episodes of screaming and whatnot, then her just laying low," said Stillwell.
Stillwell said she brought her daughter to the pediatrician and emergency room. She was persistent about getting answers.
"She had a fever. It was like 100.1 and they were like it sounds like it's possibly a stomach bug. Everything is going around right now. It's flu season, but they tested her for everything and it came back negative," said Stillwell.
Callie's parents said their daughter bounced between energetic and lethargic. Doctors discovered a golfball-sized brain tumor after an MRI.
She was diagnosed with Ependymoma, a very rare type of tumor that starts in the brain or spinal cord. It can happen in both children and adults, according to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital.
Symptoms may include headaches, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.
In January, doctors at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital performed surgery to remove the tumor. The toddler will need radiation in Orlando.
Callie's parents are waiting to learn more about their daughter's prognosis, like the tumor grade.
"We have to spend six weeks in Orlando, which is about a two-hour drive. She has radiation Monday thru Friday, 8 a.m., every day," said Stillwell.
Friends started a GoFundMe page to help the family with their medical bills and expenses during their stay in Orlando. The family is also selling bracelets for $8. The bracelets say, "CallieJeanStrong."
"As a parent, you can't do anything as much as you want to take the pain away; you can't," said Stillwell.
She encourages parents to be their child's advocate.
"Something just didn't feel good in my gut. I knew there was something else going on. I was like; we have to take her. I wasn't going to leave until we got answers. Thankfully, we did," she said.
If you would like to help Callie and her family,click here.
