Alannah Davies, age 33, was recently diagnosed with a tumour called Chondroblastoma which takes up most of her sacrum, a shield-shaped bone located at the base of the lumbar vertebrae and connected to the pelvis. Nick Allen photo.
Nicholas L. M. Allen
Apr 12, 2023
“They called me and said it’s not gynecological, it’s actually on your spine and we’re pretty shocked that you’re able to walk at this point.”
A local woman was diagnosed with an “extremely rare and aggressive tumour” known as Chondroblastoma.
Alannah Davies, age 33, was recently diagnosed with a tumour which takes up most of her sacrum, a shield-shaped bone located at the base of the lumbar vertebrae and connected to the pelvis. The growth is almost six inches by six inches in size. Davies found out when she went to her general practitioner for a regular internal exam last fall in Edmonton and they could not do the exam properly because of the tumour. After seeking a second opinion at the Women’s Health Clinic the tumour was finally identified by the cancer clinic in Edmonton with an MRI.
“They called me and said it’s not gynecological, it’s actually on your spine and we’re pretty shocked that you’re able to walk at this point,” explained Davies.
If the surgery were to be performed in Canada, 90 per cent of her sacral bone would be removed.
“The surgery in Canada will leave me without any pelvic nerve function, meaning I will need prosthetics to use the washroom for the remainder of my life. There will also be other disabilities regarding reproductive function,” said Davies.
The reason for this is because they would need to remove most of her sacrum. In Canada, they are unable to help the nerves grow back and there is currently minimal research on this type of tumour which was found in an advanced state.
“I had gone to my doctor for the better part of a decade with increasing pain and symptoms and was told to lose weight, take pills and that I had permanent tailbone pain,” said Davies, “I was never offered scans or additional testing despite having no improvement since 2015.”
There is a neurosurgeon in Italy who has offered to help and has successfully reconnected the nerves after performing a similar surgery. The neurosurgeon has done the procedure multiple times and it is no longer experimental at this point. The cost for the procedure will be $400,000 Canadian to complete.
According to Davies, the technology to keep the nerves functioning is just not available here forcing her to take the search for a surgery overseas.
“I have had this confirmed by my surgical team in Alberta, that it is not possible here at this time and, unfortunately, my tumour is encroaching on an area of my spine that will make it inoperable before that technology gets here.”
She is hoping to increase awareness of her condition and is asking for help by sharing or donating to her Go Fund Me page. Davies said she knows some people don’t trust the fundraising platform but promises transparency in where the money is used. She even went as far as saying she would provide medical proof if it would help.
“I don’t want this to happen to anyone else... I know this is a big ask, but what I am learning is that it takes a village and I promise to spend the rest of my life fighting for the people in my community the way they have been fighting for me,” said Davies.
There will be a barbeque at IGA on Sunday, April 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to raise funds and awareness. Hot dogs and chips will be available, and they will be accepting cash donations and e-transfers.
Davies is also raising donations for an online silent auction via Facebook. She will be auctioning off massage, yoga, and dance class packages, as well as some Billy Talent signed merch, which was signed specifically for this cause. If any local businesses want to donate items, she is still seeking big ticket items for the auction.
Another way people can help is by following her TikTok. If she can get 1000 followers on the social media platform, Davies will be able to link her fundraising campaign in the biography on her account.
“Currently, the platform does not allow a link to be attached without the 1000 follower threshold. The videos I have posted are gaining attention and have thousands of views, but without the link, people are confused [about] how to donate. “
Davies added that her social media platforms are public and have videos explaining the in-depth details and are as follows: Tik Tok: alannahjoy3, Instagram: elspetha, Go Fund Me: https://gofund.me/4b34a546, Email: adavies0321@gmail.com. She said readers are welcome to reach out at any time with any questions.
Note: The BBQ at IGA has been postponed until May