Bangalore: A 14-year old girl became so forgetful that her concerned parents took her to a doctor, only to learn that Seraphine Morpei had a rare form of brain cancer. The teenager has travelled all the way from Kenya to the city to treat the cancer, which proved difficult to diagnose as all doctors had to go on were her bouts of forgetfulness.
Seraphine, would pack her suitcase, but forget to take it with her on a tour and lose track of time while in the bathroom. “We first noticed she was getting forgetful when she did not take the suitcase she had herself packed when she had left to Vancouver for a fortnight as UNICEF child ambassador. Then we noticed small things like her going into the kitchen and forgetting why she was there. We kept thinking these were signs of puberty†recalls Seraphine‘s mother, Christine.
But when she started losing track of where she was and remained in the bathroom for hours together, forgetting that she was inside it, her parents began to get seriously worried. They decided she needed medical help when they noticed she was eating at frequent intervals and put on 18 kgs within eight to nine months. “That was when we knew that something was wrong and that she had to be taken to specialists†says Christine.
Doctors who examined her found that she was suffering from a rare brain cancer where the tumour was located in the pineal gland. “It is found only in 1 percent of all brain cancers†according to Dr. Sridhar P.S, radiation oncologist, HealthCare Global Enterprises.
Seraphine was operated upon and the tumour successfully removed. She was put on two sessions of Cyberknife therapy and now seems to be getting better. Doctors will however, continue to keep tabs on her to make sure that she keeps well.
