A brave teenager who was left unable to open her eye after suffering from a massive brain tumour lived for six years without knowing about her disease.
Allana Prosser was just 11 years old when she first started having daily headaches in 2009.
But it wasn't until earlier this year that it was finally discovered that she had a tumour called a Craniopharynigioma.
The growth was pushing on Allana's optic nerves and for some time the 17-year-oldfrom Bedworth near Coventry was unable to even open her right eye, the Coventry Telegraph reported.
She was in theatre having surgery the very next day after being diagnosed in May this year and is now set to travel to the States in the new year to continue her treatment with proton radiotherapy.
The therapy will never completely remove the tumour from her body, but will stabilise it meaning she can live a normal life.
NHS England are set to cover the costs of sending Allana and her mother Katrina to America for three months.
However, the family will have to fork out themselves if any other relatives - including Allana's 21-month-old sister Ezme - are to visit them, as well as covering daily living costs during the three months and any upfront payments needed.
So Allana has set up a GoFundMe page to raise as much money as possible before travelling across the Atlantic in January.
On the page, she described how after six years of constant trips to her GP and being given numerous potential diagnoses and varying drugs, the extent of her problem was finally revealed this year.
Allana wrote: "On May 21 2015 my opticians finally and luckily transferred me to the emergency hospital eye clinic which saved my life.
"Within ten minutes of the specialist doctor seeing my mum in a state I was having a CT scan and then rapidly I was having an MRI scan.
"Before I know it I was told the devastating news.
"I am a 17-year-old with a Craniopharynigioma - it consists of a solid tumour which has a large cyst attached also.
"The morning after I was in my first operation which was to release the fluid on my brain which was left draining for a week.
"May 28 was my second operation to remove as much tumour as possible without causing any life-threatening damage to myself.
"Unfortunately they have had to leave a mass of a 4cm tumour, which is nothing - before surgery it was 15cm."
After her surgery, Allana was told her eye would never open again - but she simply saw this as a challenge.
"I soon sorted that," she said.
"With some determination I used masking tape daily to tape the eyelid and try to get my muscle working again... it worked!"
Allana is set to take her fundraising efforts in to her former school, Nicholas Chamberlaine, next week, as well as hosting a mystery tour alongside Bob Harrington coaches next year.
She added: "The last six months have been the hardest for my family and friends and most of all, me.
"I have been truly blessed with love and support and would have never been able to do this without any of you.
"This is why I will fight this and come back fighting with every downfall to prove to you all and also myself I'm a fighter and will overcome this horrible illness."
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