What were some of your symptoms before doctors discovered a brain tumor?
In early 2016 I was living in North Carolina, where I was a dancer in the NBA for the Charlotte Hornets, and I began having migraine attacks and dizziness. By the end of that year, I couldn't hear out of my right ear. After six months of misdiagnoses, I was getting progressively worse. My lymph nodes were swollen, and some days I could barely get out of bed. Finally I had a CT scan, and doctors discovered a mass. I was referred to Duke University Medical Center, where I was diagnosed with a paraganglioma [a type of neuroendocrine tumor that forms near certain blood vessels and nerves outside the adrenal glands] and underwent surgery.

A year later, doctors discovered another tumor. How did you cope with that?
With my first tumor, I never cried. When I got my second diagnosis of a carotid artery tumor, I finally cried with my mom. I ended up having two surgeries, followed six weeks later by experimental radiation surgery.

What was your recovery like?
My doctors thought I might never speak or walk again. But I was mentally and physically tough. For the first two months I couldn't bathe myself or walk up one step. Slowly I built my strength back and could walk and even jog a little within six months of my surgery. My doctors were dumbfounded. I have permanent hearing loss in my right ear and wear hearing aids in both ears. I also have tinnitus.

Has therapy played a role in your recovery?
Therapy helps me process the trauma I experienced because of the surgeries and radiation. It helps keep me going and turn my pain into positivity. I'm blessed to be given a second chance and have a lasting impact.

How were you inspired to become an advocate?
The National Brain Tumor Society really supported me during my surgeries and radiation, and I wanted to give back to them. I have a large social media following, and I share a lot about my experiences and the good work of the National Brain Tumor Society. I also fundraise for the society and talk to people who are on a similar journey. And I'm a strong advocate for therapy during the healing process. When my mother died of COVID-19 in 2021, I started a foundation in her honor. I spend my time focusing on helping others. The impact I can have in this world is so important.

What advice do you have for others dealing with unusual symptoms?
Listen to your body. If your body feels off, it probably is. If my mother hadn't pushed me to see a doctor, I might have died or had a stroke or been paralyzed. I was very careless with my health. I kept making excuses for the headaches and hearing loss. I was in denial about something being serious. It never crossed my mind that I could have a brain tumor.

Six years later, do you continue to heal?
Absolutely. I still go to therapy, and I'll always give back to the National Brain Tumor Society. Talking about what happened to me is part of my recovery. So is humor. I joked with my grandmother that she and I wore the same type of hearing aid. I feel so lucky to be alive.