Walker County community rallies around 4th grader battling brain tumor
Just two days after she turned 10, on Jan. 15, doctors told her she had a skull-based tumor.
'She turned 10, and then she got sick that next night,' Diane Murphey, Olivia's aunt, said. 'Olivia has blown us all away because it's like you would never know that something is going on with her. We all have our moments where we're emotional, but she is just — she's just herself.'
Murphey said Olivia had been sick over Christmas break but was otherwise a healthy 10-year-old looking forward to playing basketball at school for the first time.
'Just seeing her and her telling me, 'I'm not scared. Everything's going to be fine,' it makes me feel, while I'm nervous and I'm sad, we're all sad that she's having to go through this at such a young age,' Murphey said. 'I'm pretty sure any of us would take it on for her, so she didn't have to go through it, but it helps us to know that she's being brave, that we can also be brave and have the faith, too.'
The Walker County community is rallying behind Olivia as she prepares for her first surgery on Wednesday. She is a fourth grader at Cordova Elementary School.
'And letting Miss Olivia know she's one of our favorite baby Blue Devils and how much we love her from the depths of our hearts,' an announcement over the intercom at Cordova Elementary said.
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Murphey said the brain tumor has not dampened Olivia's spirits. She said Olivia's doctors and nurses at Children's of Alabama get a full taste of her personality and sense of humor.
'On her birthday, she's got like the funniest personality, so she decided her name was Barbara that day,' Murphey said. 'When [doctors and nurses] come in and they're like, 'Hey, Olivia.' She's like, 'My name's Barbara,' and so they call her Barbara or Queen, and sometimes she'll be like, 'I'm Karen now.''
Olivia got to see her classmates again Tuesday before the surgery, riding in style. The whole school put on pink, her favorite color, and paraded outside her limo with signs.
'She's going to love all the attention and knowing that everyone is supporting her and be grateful for that,' Murphey said. 'I don't think she'll ever forget it.'
Murphey said because of the location of the tumor, doctors have not yet been able to biopsy it.
'Specialists from UAB and Children's are all working together, so they have [ear, nose and throat], neuro and all working together to develop a plan,' Murphey said. 'So when they actually go in to do the surgery, they'll also biopsy at the same time and then start the removal process.'
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Olivia's family with medical costs, which can be found by clicking here.
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