Health and Me

Ishita Roy

Volleyball Accident Leaves A Woman With Rare Condition Of Multiplying Tumors

What began as a typical sports injury for a teenage <span>volleyball</span> player turned into a life-altering medical discovery. McKinnon Galloway, now 33, learned she had a rare genetic condition called neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) after a fall during a volleyball match led doctors to perform a routine <span>brain</span> scan.

Galloway was just 16 and playing as a setter on her school volleyball team when she dove for the ball and hit her head on the ground. Concerned about a concussion, doctors ordered an MRI scan. Instead of a simple injury, the scan revealed two tumors in her brain.

Doctors soon confirmed she had neurofibromatosis type 2, a rare genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body.

NF2 occurs when a gene responsible for regulating nerve growth does not function properly. Without this signal telling nerve cells to stop growing, tumors can form along nerves and press on surrounding structures or disrupt nerve function.

When doctors first detected the tumors, they described them as slow growing. But within six months, follow-up scans showed the tumors had doubled in size.

Over the years, the condition progressed. Today Galloway lives with 13 tumors located in different parts of her body. Six are in her spine, three are in her hand, two are in her neck, and two remain in her brain.

To manage the disease, she has undergone several treatments including chemotherapy drugs, radiation therapy, and experimental medical trials. She was prescribed Avastin, a medication originally used to treat breast cancer, in an attempt to slow <span>tumor</span> growth.

At age 21 she also joined a phase-one clinical trial in which researchers tested increasing doses of an experimental drug to evaluate its safety. The trial was eventually stopped for her after she developed adverse reactions.

<h2>Hearing loss and multiple surgeries</h2>

The most difficult consequences of NF2 have been related to hearing loss caused by tumors affecting auditory nerves. Galloway has undergone four brain surgeries in attempts to remove or control the growth of these tumors.

After the first operations she lost hearing in her right ear. Over the next decade her hearing gradually declined in the left ear as well.

In early 2022, during a family vacation, she woke up unable to hear anything. Initially she believed the television in the room had been muted, but quickly realized she had lost her hearing entirely.

Steroid treatment temporarily restored about 20 percent of hearing in one ear. However, another brain surgery later that year resulted in complete deafness.

The operation, which lasted nearly 10 hours, was intended to remove a tumor threatening her life. Complications during surgery left her hospitalized for weeks and forced her to adapt to a completely silent world.

In the months that followed, Galloway struggled with isolation because she had not yet learned effective ways to communicate without hearing. Over time, assistive technology and digital communication tools helped her reconnect with people around her.

She has since become a content creator and public speaker, using social media to raise awareness about NF2 and educate others about technology that supports deaf individuals.

Her advocacy work also includes supporting research efforts and raising funds for organizations dedicated to neurofibromatosis research.

Despite years of treatments, surgeries and uncertainty, Galloway recently received encouraging news. Her latest medical scan showed stable tumor growth for the first time in four years.

Today she continues to share her experience in hopes of helping other families facing the rare disorder.

“Being diagnosed at 16 meant I still had a childhood,” she said. “Many children with this condition spend those years in hospitals, and they deserve more than that.”

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What began as a typical sports injury for a teenage volleyball player turned into a life-altering medical discovery. McKinnon Galloway, now 33, learned she had a rare genetic condition called neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) after a fall during a volleyball match led doctors to perform a routine brain scan.Galloway was just 16 and playing as a setter on her school volleyball team when she dove for the ball and hit her head on the ground. Concerned about a concussion, doctors ordered an MRI scan. Instead of a simple injury, the scan revealed two tumors in her brain.Doctors soon confirmed she had neurofibromatosis type 2, a rare genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body.NF2 occurs when a gene responsible for regulating nerve growth does not function properly. Without this signal telling nerve cells to stop growing, tumors can form along nerves and press on surrounding structures or disrupt nerve function.Tumors multiplied quicklyWhen doctors first detected the tumors, they described them as slow growing. But within six months, follow-up scans showed the tumors had doubled in size.Over the years, the condition progressed. Today Galloway lives with 13 tumors located in different parts of her body. Six are in her spine, three are in her hand, two are in her neck, and two remain in her brain.To manage the disease, she has undergone several treatments including chemotherapy drugs, radiation therapy, and experimental medical trials. She was prescribed Avastin, a medication originally used to treat breast cancer, in an attempt to slow tumor growth.At age 21 she also joined a phase-one clinical trial in which researchers tested increasing doses of an experimental drug to evaluate its safety. The trial was eventually stopped for her after she developed adverse reactions.Hearing loss and multiple surgeriesThe most difficult consequences of NF2 have been related to hearing loss caused by tumors affecting auditory nerves. Galloway has undergone four brain surgeries in attempts to remove or control the growth of these tumors.After the first operations she lost hearing in her right ear. Over the next decade her hearing gradually declined in the left ear as well.In early 2022, during a family vacation, she woke up unable to hear anything. Initially she believed the television in the room had been muted, but quickly realized she had lost her hearing entirely.Steroid treatment temporarily restored about 20 percent of hearing in one ear. However, another brain surgery later that year resulted in complete deafness.The operation, which lasted nearly 10 hours, was intended to remove a tumor threatening her life. Complications during surgery left her hospitalized for weeks and forced her to adapt to a completely silent world.Finding a new purposeIn the months that followed, Galloway struggled with isolation because she had not yet learned effective ways to communicate without hearing. Over time, assistive technology and digital communication tools helped her reconnect with people around her.She has since become a content creator and public speaker, using social media to raise awareness about NF2 and educate others about technology that supports deaf individuals.Her advocacy work also includes supporting research efforts and raising funds for organizations dedicated to neurofibromatosis research.Despite years of treatments, surgeries and uncertainty, Galloway recently received encouraging news. Her latest medical scan showed stable tumor growth for the first time in four years.Today she continues to share her experience in hopes of helping other families facing the rare disorder.“Being diagnosed at 16 meant I still had a childhood,” she said. “Many children with this condition spend those years in hospitals, and they deserve more than that.”

volleyball accident leaves a woman with rare condition of multiplying tumors

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Volleyball Accident Leaves A Woman With Rare Condition Of Multiplying Tumors

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Health Conditions A-Z

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Volleyball Accident Leaves A Woman With Rare Condition Of Multiplying Tumors

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