What started out as routine tests for a sinus infection turned into a diagnosis of a brain tumor for Masuk High School student Allison Miller in October of 2011. Allison, who was 15 at the time, stayed at the Boston Children's Hospital, which performed the surgery.
"I was really lucky," she said. "They were able to get it all out. At first, I felt unlucky, but when I went to the children's hospital and saw some of the other patients, I realized how lucky I was. I saw everything from a different perspective once I was there."
Elaine Miller said her daughter roomed with Hailey, a six-year-old girl who had an inoperable brain tumor.
"I became friends with her," Allison said.
Both Allison and her mother raved about the staff at Boston Children's Hospital.
"They had her doing crafts the whole time," Elaine said. "On the day I brought her home, she was making a duct tape pocketbook."
"They were painting my nails," Allison said.
"And braiding her hair," Elaine added. "She was lucky they only had to shave the back of her head."
"They were really great," said Allison. "They kind of inspired me to go into the medical field."
Allison, now a 17-year-old Masuk junior applying for colleges, has not decided whether she wants to study to be a doctor, a physician's assistant or work in another profession in the field, but said she knows it will involve helping children like Hailey.
Coins for Cures
Allison stayed at the hospital from Dec. 12 to 17 in 2011 and later found out about its Coin for Cures fundraiser through Facebook and decided to have a drive at her school.
"Masuk was the first school in Fairfield County to do it," she said.
Allison raised a total of $4,011.62 for Coins for Cures.
Every year, a portion of Masuk's Prom ticket proceeds go to a charitable cause. This year, Allison, who is vice president of her class, said more than $2,000 went to Coins for Cures.
The rest came through donations collected in canisters placed on counters at businesses all over town.
"I just want to thank all the businesses in town that hosted the canisters," Allison said. "It's going toward a great cause."
Allison and her mother also expressed gratitude to those who sent checks and made online donations to Coins for Cures.
'The Best Christmas Ever'
Since her surgery, Allison had gone to Boston for a follow up MRI every three months in the first year and now she has to go for one every six months in year two, before having one a year for the rest of her life so any potential new growth can be caught early.
Despite having to go for MRIs, Allison is in a far better place than she was two years ago.
Elaine said, "The worst day of my life was when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. And the best day of my life was when the doctor called me with the final pathology report on Christmas Eve to say it was benign — and they got all of it. That was the best Christmas ever."
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