Nursing student Stephanie Lipscomb thought she was simply overtired when she began to suffer from mysterious headaches. When the pain became constant and unbearable, she went to the hospital and was given the most shocking news of her life. She had a brain tumor.
The tumor was a glioblastoma, which had swelled to tennis-ball size. Stephanie had surgery immediately and endured extensive chemotherapy and radiation afterward. Although two percent of the tumor could not be removed, doctors thought the other treatments would kill the rest of the cancer. Unfortunately, the cancer soon returned, and Stephanie was nearly out of options. The only thing left to try was so experimental, it had never been attempted with a human before. With nothing left to lose, the young woman agreed to have polio virus injected into her brain.
Stephanie and her family were unsure what would happen next. The doctors could not guarantee a positive outcome. As time passed, it became clear the treatment was working. The polio attacked and killed the cancer, and Stephanie’s body took over from there. An MRI performed nearly two years later showed no trace of the tumor, and Stephanie is currently healthy and enjoying life.
While the risky treatment was devised by science, Stephanie considers it to be a true miracle.