Hawke's Bay teenager Maree Bailey is battling a deadly brain cancer. Photo / Supplied
Hawke's Bay teenager Maree Bailey is battling a deadly brain cancer. Photo / Supplied
A Hawke's Bay teenager is battling an inoperable brain cancer that was only discovered when the "typical teen" had a fall two months ago.
Maree Bailey's life has suddenly become a fight for survival after doctors found a deadly cancerous growth on her brain stem.
Family friend Karla Wade haswritten on a Givealittle page about the devastating diagnosis and the challenges her family face as the much-loved Taradale High School student undergoes treatment.
So far $1771 has been raised for the family, who are now focused on getting their daughter the best treatment possible for a disease that is regarded as difficult to treat and highly aggressive.
"Maree is your typical teen striving to do the best she can to overcome her diagnosis of a brain cancer called pontine glioma," Karla wrote.
"This isn't going to be an easy journey for Cheryl [Maree's mother], Maree or their whanau but with huge hopes I really hope everyone can help them out in anyway possible big or small every little bit helps."
Wade said the first sign there was a problem was in early September when Maree had a fall.
Doctors discovered the cancerous tumour growing at the base of her brain. It had started to affect her motor skills.
"The tumour is called a pontine glioma [and] is on the stem of her brain which affects some, if not all, of her natural motor skills, affecting her speech, her balance and many other aspects of her life," she wrote.
