A MOM has been left heartbroken after being told her daughter’s body is riddled with tumors – claiming doctors initially dismissed her concerns.
Tiffany McConathy, an advanced oncology certified nurse practitioner, first knew something was wrong when her 10-month-old daughter, Nora, developed weakened muscles on the right side of her face.
Jam Press/@princessnoraswarriorfoundationTiffany and Jeremy Powell lost their daughter after claiming doctors dismissed their concerns about the tumors on their baby girl’s face[/caption]
Jam Press/@princessnoraswarriorfoundationA biopsy revealed little Nora had an aggressive brain tumor[/caption]
Jam Press/@princessnoraswarriorfoundationTiffany McConathy first noticed her daughter was suffering from facial weakness in September 2021[/caption]
Little Nora was soon diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a temporary disease that will normally resolve over time.
But the 35-year-old mom from Arkansas had a gut feeling there was something more sinister at hand and pushed doctors to do an MRI, which she claims they were initially reluctant to do.
That’s when they found the tumors, spread throughout the little girl’s body – with a very tragic end to her story.
“I felt Bell’s palsy wasn’t the right diagnosis and pushed for an MRI,” McConathy, who is also mom to five-year-old Zane, told The U.S. Sun.
“But the doctors were certain her symptoms would resolve on their own.
“I am sure they had their reasons for not wanting to do an MRI at first, but when taking all the clinical pieces and analyzing them myself, something just didn’t feel right.
“After they told me about her tumors, I was completely shocked.
“Being in the line of work I am, I was also devastated.
“I knew what the odds were, and they were not good. I knew there was a huge likelihood she wouldn’t make it.
“I decided I was going to spend every moment with her to the fullest and give her the best days that I could.”
McConathy first noticed her daughter suffering from facial weakness in September 2021, and she and her husband, Jeremy, 35, immediately rushed then one-year-old Nora to the hospital.
Following an assessment with a neurologist, she was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, and the family was later sent home.
But six weeks later, the little girl became extremely lethargic, refusing to eat and acting strangely – causing McConathy to take her back to the hospital.
On November 3, 2021, Nora underwent a biopsy, showing she had embryonal tumors with multilayer rosettes, an aggressive brain tumor that affects children under the age of three.
Treatment began on November 15 of that year with a port and gastric tube, three rounds of intensive chemotherapy, and a shunt due to the increased pressure on her brain due to the fluid.
She was scheduled for a stem cell transplant but unfortunately developed asymptomatic Covid-19, causing the transplant to be delayed.
Tragically, months later, on February 19, 2022, the little girl died.
McConathy said: “I can literally replay moment by moment of her last day and a half.
“At 12.36am, her heart rate started to fall.
“12.38am – that’s the time part of my heart died,” the heartbroken mom said.
“She was the sweetest, most sassy, beautiful child. There were a plethora of emotions.
“I was relieved for her that she no longer had to suffer and ran into the arms of Jesus.
“I was numb because how was I supposed to go on without a part of my heart.
“I was confused, how did this happen? Why was it so quick? What could I have done to prevent this?
“I have had to learn it is okay to have more than one emotion at a time.
“I spend most of my days happy but grieving, and that’s okay.”
In a bid to help other children suffering from rare cancers, McConathy and Jeremy decided to have a research autopsy performed on Nora.
Unfortunately, this request was denied due to her positive Covid test.
She said: “The most unfortunate part about her death was that my husband and I wanted to research autopsy to allow for tissue sampling.
“Unfortunately, the hospital would not do her autopsy due to her COVID positivity.
“We wanted other babies to live.”
The couple started a non-profit foundation called Princess Nora’s Warriors, raising money and awareness for pediatric cancer research.
To date, they have raised $223,000.
McConathy said: “One thing I have found since having a daughter diagnosed with cancer is the severe lack of funding for research in children.
“I hope to continue to raise money for research, as well as helping families financially going through the hardest time of their lives.
“We hope to someday see a cure for pediatric cancers!”
The U.S. Sun approached Arkansas Children’s Hospital, where Nora was treated, for comment but has not received a response at the time of publishing.
Jam Press/@princessnoraswarriorfoundationNora died on February 19, 2022[/caption]
Jam Press/@princessnoraswarriorfoundationMcConathy described how ‘part of her heart died’ when Nora passed away[/caption] Read More