COLORADO SPRINGS — A high school student in Colorado Springs who survived a brain tumor is now helping other children who are going through cancer treatment.
Meet Zariea Patrick, she is a 16-year-old high school junior and three-sport athlete at Harrison High School.
“I play volleyball, basketball, and track and field,” Zariea said.
It was at a basketball practice back in March of 2023 when Zariea was injured.
“I was playing basketball, and it was just a practice, simple practice before a game, and I got an elbow to the head, and that kind of just started it all,” Zariea said.
She had a concussion and her symptoms were getting worse.
“I started losing my peripheral vision. Headaches started to get, like to like, three times a day, tiredness. I would just go to sleep, classes, anywhere, and so that's when I went to the Children's Hospital, and that's when they ordered my MRI, and that's when they saw the brain tumor sitting on my brain.”
Zariea was diagnosed with a diffuse low-grade glioma at 15 years old. The tumor was lodged in the right side of her brain.
“When I got the news about the brain tumor, I was just like, there's a kick in the stomach,” Donisha said.
Her mom, Donisha, said she took Zariea to Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs where she underwent all-day chemo infusions.
“I would have to go through this long process of getting surgeries, missing school multiple times out of the day, going to many chemo appointments,” Zariea said.
Despite this process, Zariea stayed in school and continued to play sports during her treatment.
“Even days when I was tired, getting out of the hospital late at night, I felt like I still wanted to go to school, go back to practice, still wanted to push because I knew that having this brain tumor didn't stop me from catching hopefully what I will become,” Zariea said.
After a year of chemotherapy, Zariea received the news she was cancer-free. She celebrated by ringing the balloon bell at Children's Hospital.
“That was a very special moment in life for me, May 6 is when I rang it.”
The bell symbolizes the end of her treatments; however, her journey with Children’s Hospital isn’t over.
“All the health that I went through, I feel like I can put that same energy into another adult or child,” Zariea said.
She applied to be an intern at Children's Hospital. Her mom said she was one of 10 people selected out of 160 applicants and started her new position in November.
“It's so good to see Zaria Victorious on the other side of things, walking into Children's Hospital for her internship. It's just amazing. Sometimes I even get speechless, like we were just walking through these doors for chemo. She was walking out many days a week, meeting a wheelchair, vomiting and just to see her going in, pulling the wagons that families may need. I'm just in awe,” Donisha said.
Zariea hopes to become a traveling nurse or general surgeon one day. It's a dream she has had since she was three years old. Donisha has a home video of Zariea saying she wants to be a doctor when she grows up.
“What do you want to be when you grow up,” Donisha said.
“A doctor,” Zariea said.
She said surviving a brain tumor has called her to help others as soon as she can.
“Giving the motivation saying that there's a light at the end of the tunnel is the best thing I could give a patient of mine now. So just keep pushing for whatever you do in life, you have a purpose.”
To get connected with Children's Hospital, visit their website.
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‘You have a purpose,’ Child cancer survivor is giving back to Children's Hospital Colorado
A high school student in Colorado Springs who survived a brain tumor is now helping other children who are going through cancer treatment.
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