Family members and friends are hoping the power of prayer will help Kaua‘i resident Crystal Wolshin sail safely through surgery to remove a brain tumor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. today, Wednesday, Dec. 15. Wolshin, a 16-year-old honor
Family members and friends are hoping the power of prayer will help Kaua‘i resident Crystal Wolshin sail safely through surgery to remove a brain tumor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. today, Wednesday, Dec. 15.
Wolshin, a 16-year-old honor student at Kapa‘a High School, will be required to be awake during her surgery so that surgeons can track her motor skills and don’t cut into vital parts of her brain, Lorraine Wichman, a friend of family, told The Garden Island.
“Her mom is hoping all of Kaua‘i will pray for her daughter and the doctors who are performing this very risky surgery,” Wichman said.
Wolshin will be going through what friends have said will be “life-saving surgery.”
Rhonda Borntrager accompanied Wolshin on a flight from Kaua‘i to Minnesota late last month.
Wolshin was scheduled to go through five days of testing before today’s surgery to remove or retard a new tumor.
The tumor appeared in a part of the brain where tumorous material was initially removed during a successful surgery at the Queen’s Medical Center on O‘ahu earlier this year.
The surgery resulted in the removal of 80 percent of the tumor.
Because the other 20 percent of the tumor was of unknown quality, medical experts recommended no surgery or treatment be done at that time, due to possible risks to Wolshin’s life.
Tests done in late October, however, revealed the new tumor, which if not removed can wreak havoc on Wolshin’s life. The tumors can create “gigantic,” life-threatening seizures if not removed, Wichman said.
Wolshin has said she won’t let her condition beat her. She aspires to be a lawyer one day.
The Wolshin family welcomes donations to help defray medical and travel costs while they are on the Mainland. People can deposit funds in the “Funds for Crystal” account at any First Hawaiian Bank branch.
For more information on Wolshin’s surgery, please contact Wichman at 651-7866, Cindy Seeley at 822-1410, Lehua Ornellas at 245-8841, Jennifer Ridelo at 822-2125, or Dorothy Nakazawa at 651-1428.
Lester Chang, staff writer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or lchang@pulitzer.net.
