ST.THOMAS, JAMAICA (PAINFUL STORY): Time running out for class-topping student, 14-year-old Leslie-Ann Goulbourne blinded by brain tumour...Since June 2014 the second former has undergone four brain surgeries, six weeks of radiotherapy, weekly visits to the hospital and numerous tests and scans. But, the tumour has now spread to the teen's spine, crippling one of her arms and partially blinding the other eye....Since last June, Williams's expenditure report showed that she has used up close to $5 million trying to get her daughter better....."I am not ashamed to say I am drained financially. I have nothing left," a distressed Williams said. "It's the mercy of God why I feed them every day and still able to take her in (to hospital) when I have to. I still have to pay utilities, take care of the other children, and send myself to work."

BY DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE Sunday Observer staff reporter husseyd@jamaicaobserver.com  Sunday, February 15, 2015  

Despite fighting a brain tumour that has left her without sight in her left eye and rendered one of her arms useless, 14-year-old Leslie-Ann Goulbourne managed to top her class with an average of 83.2 per cent.

14-year-old Leslie-Ann Goulbourne 

But that was June 2014 -- the last time that Leslie-Ann was able to attend classes at St Thomas Technical High School.

Since then, the second former has undergone four brain surgeries, six weeks of radiotherapy, weekly visits to the hospital and numerous tests and scans. But, the tumour has now spread to the teen's spine, crippling one of her arms and partially blinding the other eye.

Leslie-Ann is afflicted by germinoma, a non-malignant tumour that affects the brain and the spine. Germinoma is a germ cell tumour that forms in the pineal gland area of the brain. Pineal tumour patients typically experience a build-up of fluid within the brain, causing headaches, nausea and impaired vision.

"From she was in grade four the headaches come on. But the headaches weren't so intense. It was on and off. She was about nine at the time," Leslie-Ann's mother, 40-year-old Andrea Williams explained to the Jamaica Observer on Thursday.

Andrea Williams wipes the tears from her
 eyes as she talks about the pain
 that her daughter feels.

"She studies a lot because she takes her school work very seriously, so I thought that was why. At that time she started suffering minor headaches until it got worse, where instead of feeling it every two to three days she started feeling it every day."

Williams explained that she continued taking her daughter to private doctors but they kept treating her for sinusitis. However, the situation got worse, and when the child started first form in high school the headaches got so bad that teachers were calling Williams to pick her up from school numerous times per week. more