Avalon Young underwent her 3rd craniotomy on Friday (August 13) to remove cancer from her brain, and she appears to be on the mend! The American Idol season 15 singer needed to be awake for the procedure
“Unfortunately, Avalon will have to be awake during this procedure, to make sure they are not removing healthy brain tissue,” Avalon’s mother wrote on her GoFundMe page. “The areas where the tumor is attached to healthy brain tissue, controls her speech and motors skills.”
“In addition to the surgical risks of stroke and hemorrhage, ” she wrote. “the additional risks involved for this procedure are blindness, cognitive loss, inability to speak and walk, and use of the right side of her body. This is due to how closely they will be operating to these functional areas in her brain.”
“I’m awake bro. I can move everything!”
After the surgery on Friday, Avalon wrote on social media: “I’m awake bro. I can move everything! i can TALK!!! I love you guys.”
i’m awake bro. i can move everything! i can TALK!!!! i love you guys pic.twitter.com/nUrgNtWjZJ
— avalon young?? (@avalonyoung) August 14, 2021
She followed up that message, with an Instagram post and a longer note. “Can’t believe i’ve finished making it through all three surgeries in my brain!!!,” she wrote. “i’m so ecstatic to be HERE and ALIVE and able to type these words on this screen.” Avalon cautioned, “Don’t ever take anything for granted. Enjoy walking, and moving around, and take pride in being able to do it all on your own or with all of your friends. Enjoy everything, even the hardest parts.”
“i’m grateful today and every other day that i will get for the rest of my life,” she continued. However, she cautioned, “The fight isn’t over yet, but it will be soon. Cancer is whack, but fighting it is the toughest and most amazing feeling.”
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Currently Avalon has raised $96,559 of a $250,000 goal on GoFundMe. Her surgeries have been costly. The first surgery cost $728,000.00 and the 2nd surgery $216,000.00. They are negotiating with all parties, but the health care, without insurance, is still incredibly expensive.
Avalon has already undergone two surgeries.
The first involved removing a peach sized tumor, but the doctors could not get at all of it. The Feb. 26 procedure at UC San Diego Medical Center in La Jolla lasted about 16 hours and kept the singer hospitalized for two days.
The second surgery was an 8 hour surgery performed with lasers on May 27 which removed more of the cancerous tumor in two sections of her front left temporal lobe.
Ahead of the second surgery, the pop hip-hop artist released a single “She Don’t”, and on June 1 she released a full album of songs titled Lush. Avalon tweeted at the time. “the album that i made during brain tumor surgery recovery. life is nuts BUT WE CANT STOP WONT STOP!!! EVER!!!”
