Saidian Townsend had her dreams of a relaxing vacation dashed when she suddenly began feeling ill just days after landing in Trinidad and Tobago in 2019.  With the illness persisting and experiencing excruciating head pains and signs of having a seizure, her holiday was abruptly cut short as Townsend was rushed to a hospital, where she was admitted for a week. “I just went to my bed and got sick, and I woke up in the morning with unbearable pain, ”She was later diagnosed with a frontal lobe tumor in the right side of the brain and was instructed to have surgery done immediately to remove it. Because the tumor on the right, it weakened the left, and so I couldn’t walk and couldn’t use the left hand either.

Almost two years later, Townsend is still unable to complete the second stage of her operation, which will see surgeons installing a cranial plate. The operation was initially scheduled for December 2020 but has been delayed due to financial constraints and a debt of more than $1.2 million to the hospital.

She has been advised by doctors to avoid any falls or other head trauma as this could result in her death as her brain is only covered by a titanium screen mesh panel and the skin on her head.