Yuma girl battles brain tumors
Fundraiser Wednesday aims to assist family with medical costs
The family of a 9-year-old Yuma girl battling multiple brain tumors is holding a fundraiser Wednesday at Firehouse Subs to defray travel and other expenses.
Incy Mora is being treated by seven different specialists at Phoenix Children’s Hospital for neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a genetic disorder that can cause tumors throughout the body.
Her mom, Ashley Jones, said the syndrome runs in her family and she herself has it as well, diagnosed as a child, after a few benign growths appeared at the base of her neck.
“They didn’t tell me very much about it at the time. I didn’t realize how serious it could be,” Jones said.
The trouble began for Incy about a month ago, Jones said, when she began suffering severe headaches. She was taken to see a doctor, and a large mass was found in her brain when a CT scan was done. The girl was then rushed to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where an MRI detected two tumors, one near her optic nerve and the other on the medulla, which controls involuntary functions such as breathing and heartbeat. Incy’s tumors are noncancerous but still cause severe headaches, and the one by her optic nerve could threaten her sight. Jones said there were plans for her daughter to begin chemotherapy, but physicians are now consulting with an ophthalmologist on which course to take.
She said her daughter is still in good spirits and able to attend Desert Mesa Elementary School, where she’s in third grade, but isn’t being told very much about her condition at this point.
“She doesn’t really understand. She calls them (the tumors) her rocks. I’m kind of keeping her in the dark about things so she won’t get too scared, until we know more about how serious it is,” she said.
She describes Incy as a very kind, empathetic girl who loves stuffed animals.
The frequent trips to and from Phoenix are taxing for Jones, a single mother raising Incy and her 8-year-old sister, Lizinda.
The Firehouse Subs at 2886 S. 4th Ave. will donate 15 percent of proceeds earned between 4 and 7 p.m. Wednesday to the family for customers who present the Hope for Incy charity flier. These can be obtained by emailing ashbabe3114@yahoo.com.