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A teenager in the UK has had her memory completely wiped out after starting a new treatment to shrink her rare, but benign brain tumor.
According to The Daily Mail, 17-year-old Charlotte Reid has had her life turned “upside down” after undergoing innovative proton beam therapy in Florida.
Reid was forced to try the therapy after doctors discovered that she had a large brain tumor that was beginning to affect her vision.
Reid was just 3 years old when she began suffering from painful headaches, and her parents knew early on that something serious was wrong with their little girl.
By the time doctors finally discovered Reid’s craniopharyngioma—a rare benign brain tumor—in 2015, they knew they had to act fast to treat it.
Because the tumor was inoperable, Reid’s parents decided it was important to try the proton therapy as soon as possible, though they now regret the decision.
“Ultimately, we had to go for it, though, because the tumour would have kept growing and getting worse otherwise. The proton therapy was the only option, as it was too difficult to operate,” said Reid’s mother, Angie. “I do ask myself, ‘What if we could have waited a bit longer, so she could have done things like her GCSEs?’ But it made sense to do it when we did.”
According to The Daily Mail, the proton therapy had an extremely negative impact on Reid’s memory.
“Her life has been turned upside down by the side effects, which are huge and life-changing,” Angie revealed. “At the time, we knew she had to have the treatment to save her life. There was no choice but it has had a serious impact. She won't remember what day of the week it is, or even what she had for lunch.”
“She never looks forward to things, because she doesn't remember they are going to happen. She doesn't remember if she has had a nice treat,” she added. “It's quite difficult for me as a mum. I spend a lot of time answering questions for her.”
“Her memory had been severely affected. She remembers everything before she had treatment well but everything since then is almost gone,” the heartbroken mom continued.
Although the treatment has helped improve Reid’s condition, Angie and her husband, Steve, constantly wonder whether it was the best option for their daughter.
“The brain is quite an amazing thing. It can restructure itself, but it does take years. We feel we are very much at the beginning of the journey at the minute," Angie said. “Sometimes I have questioned whether this treatment was the right thing to do.”
While Angie and Steve continue working with the hospital for help, they aren’t sure what the future holds for their daughter.
