The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Layman clears biggest hurdle
Cardinal D-III regional qualifier one year out from brain cyst removal
The fact that Anna Layman competes in pole vault and hurdles carries broader meaning in a way.
At its core, after all, succeeding in either event amid track and field season hinges on prowess to quickly navigate impediments, no matter how daunting.
The Cardinal junior is doing just fine with that this spring, heading into the Division III Norwayne Regional on May 24 and 26 as a pole vault and 100-meter hurdles qualifier.
But even with that in mind, it is how Layman navigated another impediment around one year ago, then thrived, that is even more admirable.
Because 13 months ago, Layman underwent brain surgery.
It all began with nausea she and her parents initially thought may have to do with social issues and stress as her sophomore year began. The frequency of the nausea, however, wouldn’t dissipate.
“I think I lost a little over 15 pounds,” Layman said. “And so it was getting to be more of an issue.”
Layman also complained to her doctors of persistent headaches. With the weight loss becoming more concerning, the call was made.
“Then they decided, ‘Let’s just check your head first,’ so I got an appointment scheduled for my CAT scan and then an appointment for them to check my stomach out,” Layman said. “So first, we checked my stomach out, and everything was fine there.
“When they were going to check my head, it was kind of an interesting case thing, but no one was really expecting to find anything. So they did my CAT scan, and it came back with this mass in my head. They found it, and within a week of finding it, I was scheduled for surgery.”