Jailyn Mccord-espinosa

July 2019

On May 15th, 2019, we took Jailyn to the doctor because she’d been having headaches. An MRI showed us that both her optic nerves were inflamed, and the specialists diagnosed her with a brain tumor. Jailyn stayed overnight at the hospital because the tumor was in the Pineal gland and was causing fluid to collect in her brain.

Within days she had surgery to relieve the fluid collection. Her healing was going well, but we soon got the news we’d been dreading. In the nicest, most sincere way possible, the doctor told me that my sweet twelve year old girl has brain cancer. I felt like someone took my breath away. I kept saying this can’t be!!! Not my baby…NOT MY BABY!!! I was sure they had a mistake somewhere.

Unfortunately, it was not a mistake. We scheduled surgery ASAP to remove and biopsy the tumor and decide on the best treatment plan.

May 30th, 2019, we checked into Doernbecher Children’s Hospital for a surgery that was supposed to last anywhere from 4 to 8 hours. It turned into a 16 hour surgery. That was the longest, most agonizing 16 hours of my whole entire life! I thought it would NEVER end.

Jailyn has recently started radiation and chemotherapy. I have a feeling this will be a long and hard journey, but we will fight this with everything we’ve got and it WILL NOT WIN. Not my baby NO NO.