Finding Joy While Fighting Cancer
- Retired NFL football star Alex Smith, who previously suffered a devastating leg injury, followed by a life-threatening sepsis infection, has revealed his resilient daughter Sloane, 8, is doing well after undergoing her 10-hour brain surgery—something her family credit’s to her love for dance.
- Smith and his wife shared a photo this week of Sloane, who was first rushed to the hospital in May 2022 to treat a malignant brain tumor, in her dance competition outfit. They insisted her dance hobby “is her therapy not only physical but emotional and mental.”
- When faced with a cancer battle, whether you’re an adult or a child, it can be difficult to focus on life outside of your disease. However, it’s important to remember that your mental state can actually impact your success as a patient.
- “I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patients are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease,” Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, previously told SurvivorNet. “And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life.”
Smith, who overcame a horrible leg injury six years ago where he broke his right fibula and tibia, followed by a life-threatening sepsis infection, took to social media this week to share an update on his sweet daughter’s ability to stay positive and keep doing what she loves.
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Smith explained how Sloane has come a long way since she was told her cancer had returned prior to this year’s dance season.
He continued, “Sloane had to endure her 3rd 10 hour brain surgery in February. Going into her surgery all Sloane would ask is ‘how much dance am I going to miss?’ You never know what deficits your child may have post resection. We feared more than anything it would take away the thing she loves most.
“After the surgery, in true Sloane form she bounced back like a rockstar. Against our better judgment (Dr. cleared her) we allowed Sloane to compete 2 weeks after her surgery. She lit that stage up like we had never seen. It may not have been technically perfect but she gives every ounce of her soul to the thing she loves most.”
Both Smith and his wife have insisted they are “eternally grateful” for Sloane’s recovery journey and proud of how she’s coped with her diagnosis.
The update post concluded, “So Sloane, go out there this week and kick some butt. We love you and couldn’t be more proud. ILYSM #cancersucks #tinydancer #ladm #stronggirl #dancersagainstcancer.”
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Smith, who played for the National Football League (NFL) for 16 years, first learned his daughter had a malignant brain tumor in 2022, before his football career came to an end shortly after his incredible comeback following his leg injury. He suffered a “compound fracture to his right tibia and fibula” in November 2018, according to USA Today.
During his recovery period, he also developed sepsis, a life-threatening infection. However, his health battle became a thing of the past when his daughter was rushed to the hospital on May 10, 2022, to treat a malignant brain tumor.
Sloane was quickly taken to the hospital after experiencing stroke-like symptoms, her dad explained in an Instagram post. MRI scans helped doctors discover she had a large brain tumor that required immediate attention.
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Sloane underwent a 10-hour craniotomy procedure with the goal of removing the malignant tumor. And although we know she was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor, the specifics on the tumor are still unclear.
A craniotomy is “a procedure to cut out a tumor and it can be metastasized or a tumor that started someplace else like the breasts and went to the brain especially if the tumor is causing symptoms or if it’s large,” a board-certified neurosurgeon at Emory University School of Medicine Dr. Kimberly Hoang previously described to SurvivorNet.
An Instagram post, shared on August 2, 2023, revealed Sloane underwent more surgery.
Her parents explained, “Over the past year, our daughter Sloane has been a little fighter. From 2 brain surgeries, therapies, countless MRI’s, blood draws, EEG’s, pokes, prods and a million doctors appointments. One thing we know is she continues to fight and never lets her light dim. She shines bright and doesn’t let anything hold her down.
“Never does a parent expect to fight this battle. No parent is prepared to hear those words. But we continue to fight. Fight for advancements in medicine, fight for all the other families going through similar if not worse battles and fight for our baby girl.”
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Signs and Symptoms of Brain Cancer
Brain tumors do not always cause symptoms, but they can still impact a person’s brain function and overall health, depending on their size, type, and location within the brain.
Tumors that grow big enough and disrupt normal central nervous system functioning can press on nearby nerves, blood vessels, or other tissues. The disrupted central nervous system can present in a variety of ways, potentially making it difficult to walk or maintain your balance.
The symptoms brain tumors can cause are similar for children and adults and they largely depend on where the tumor is located within the brain. As per the National Cancer Institute, common symptoms associated with brain tumors include:
- Headaches
- Seizures
- Vomiting (sometimes with nausea)
- Difficulty remembering things
- Slurred speech
- Vision problems
- Trouble swallowing
- Hearing problems
If any of these symptoms concern you, you should contact your child’s doctor.
Treatment options for brain cancer depend on a variety of factors, including the size and type of the tumor as well as the grade of the tumor.
Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are options doctors use to treat brain tumors. Cancer warriors are encouraged to talk to their doctor about their situation and the best treatment options.
Letting Out Emotions By Dancing
For anyone battling cancer, Alex Smith’s daughter, letting out emotions is vital and it can also be done by simply dancing and doing something fun. It’s admirable to stay strong and positive through adversity, but you also need days to process what you’re going through.
For example, Evelyn Reyes-Beato is a colon cancer survivor who comes from a culture where feelings and health issues aren’t openly discussed. Evelyn tells SurvivorNet that dealing with her emotional pain was a big part of dealing with her physical pain.
“You have to let it out,” Reyes-Beato explained to SurvivorNet. “Your mental and your emotional help your psychical get in line.”
“If you keep all of the emotions in, the way I see it, is that stuff is going to eat you up inside and it’s not going to let you heal,” she added.
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Meanwhile, Marquina Iliev-Piselli dressed up in fun, whacky outfits, and tried to stay connected with herself and her body during a tough time.
“With cancer specifically, every couple weeks I would grab a bunch of different clothes that were donated and bring them to the hospital and would just try to make something happen in those 6 to 8 hours while I was in the hospital. It was glam rock chemo,” Iliev-Piselli told SurvivorNet.
“I air guitared [during] my chemo, and it saved my spirit. It made it so I don’t look back on that time with fear.”
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Finding Joy While Battling Cancer
When faced with a cancer battle, whether you’re an adult or a child, it can be difficult to focus on life outside of your disease. However, it’s important to remember that your mental state can actually impact your success as a patient.
“I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patients are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease,” Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, previously told SurvivorNet. “And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life.”
Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology, also advocates for cancer warriors to prioritize their mental health. She noted that emotional well-being has been studied as a factor in patient outcomes.
“We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes,” Dr. Chase told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.
“So, working on your emotional health, your physical well-being, your social environment [and] your emotional well-being are important and can impact your survival. If that’s related to what activities you do that bring you joy, then you should try to do more of those activities.”
According to Dr. Chase says doing things that bring you joy is important, and there’s no right or wrong ways to do so. Paying attention to your emotional health could look like spending time with friends and dancing. Others might turn to painting, writing, watching movies, or playing sports.
Dr. Chase recommends writing down ten things that make you happy and intentionally making the time to do those activities throughout the day.
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“Sometimes I will talk to a patient about making [a] list of the top ten things that bring them joy,” Chase says.
“And trying to do those ten things, to make at least 50 percent of their experiences positive throughout the day.”
“Sometimes I will talk to a patient about making [a] list of the top ten things that bring them joy,” Chase says. “And trying to do those ten things, to make at least 50 percent of their experiences positive throughout the day.”
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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