Brave teen fights off brain tumour then gets 'devastating' news

A brave teenager who is living her life by "quality not quantity" has been given the devastating news that her brain tumour has returned - and surgeons are unable to remove it.

Gracie Selstead, 18, was first diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2019 aged 13 and has undergone three surgeries since then. Three years after being told she was cancer-free she was given the devastating news that the tumour was back and was not removable due to a risk of paralysis.

Now Gracie, from St Austell, will likely face repeated surgeries, with her next operation on Friday (November 15), in the hopes doctors can manage the tumour. She will also potentially undergo radiotherapy and chemotherapy to fight it off. Her cousin says it's taken so much of her life and she wants to do what she can to "make a horrible time a little more pleasant".

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Katy Warnes, 44, who started a GoFundMe to raise funds for Gracie, said: "Gracie is 18 years old and working hard at her first full-time job. Like many girls of her age, she enjoys time with family, friends and travel, a real passion since she passed her driving test. In fact, she celebrated finishing college by driving on a 1,000-mile round trip to Scotland with her friends in her 17-year-old Micra!

"What Gracie doesn’t show behind her smile and fun, is the sadness of dealing with a brain tumour. At just 13 she was diagnosed with the tumour, and she has already had three brain surgeries. This has meant missed school, missed fun and the impact the surgeries have left her with."

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Devastatingly her grandad was diagnosed with a late-stage brain tumour on New Year's Eve 2023 and passed away in March. Six months later, she was told her own tumour was back, and the prognosis was not as positive as it was five years ago.

"It was totally devastating following three years of being tumour-free," Katy adds. "Sadly due to the location, it will not be able to be removed due to the high risk of paralysis.

"This means Gracie faces repeated surgery as the cancer continues to grow unless it becomes too dangerous to operate. She will probably require radiotherapy and chemotherapy unless the risk of these is too great.

"The term that has been used is to look at a life lived with quality, not quantity. All her hard-won independence feels lost. Gracie can not drive for 12 months following surgery, and even travel insurance has become extremely expensive."

She said: "It's now clear that [the tumour] is never going to be gone and she's been told her life is about quality not quantity. I wanted to do this for her so that while she still can she can do as much as she wants to do."

So far £1,920 of the £2,000 goal has been raised for Gracie. You can view and donate, here.

There will also be a Christmas late-night shopping event at the Brocante store in Charlestown on November 15 from 6-8pm which will be held in her honour with donations taken.