Hi, I'm Athena.
"My name is Athena and I was diagnosed with a Pilocytic Astrocytoma when I was 12. This was a benign tumour that was in my spinal cord.
I was diagnosed in Year 7, and I was just getting used to all my classes and being in ‘big’ school.
I had gone to A&E because my parents were getting worried about the way I was walking and how I was using my body. It all happened very fast; I got admitted into hospital that day, had an MRI, found out that I had a brain tumour, got transferred to a different hospital, and then started discussing treatment.
I don’t think my diagnosis affected me as much as it affected my parents because I didn’t fully understand it.
Despite all the confusion regarding what I had been diagnosed with, I was grateful that I had a diagnosis. I finally understood why I had the symptoms that I did. I struggled to walk, my balance was affected, I couldn’t use the right side of my body or even smile properly.
I took some time out of the start of Year 8 and made a phased return back to school, as my energy levels were still low and to avoid overworking my brain.
It was tough to get back into being a child because I feel like I had to grow up extremely quickly. People around me didn’t understand what happened so it was lonely going through it, but I had my family and my nurses/doctors who all cared for me at the time. I have now been in remission for 10 years and I finished secondary school passing my GCSEs and now I have a university degree! When I first heard about Teens Unite, I thought it was an amazing thing to be a part of. I signed up for as much as I could to meet new people. Going to my first event was eye opening. I met other young people who had been through similar things that I had, got to take part in experiences that I wouldn’t have outside of Teens Unite, and got cared for by the volunteers and staff who were so understanding. I have become a better person by meeting other people through the trips organised by Teens Unite and I thank you for that.”
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