Help Alden in her fight against brain cancer

Please help Alden in her fight against brain cancer.

In early August, Alden went to the ER in Nashville while experiencing some significant health concerns and seizure like symptoms. The doctors diagnosed her with anxiety and panic attacks. She was referred to a primary care physician and therapist who she began seeing regularly. Alden embraced treatment with tenacity and a commitment to healing. These attacks progressed and became so severe and frequent that Alden had trouble functioning day to day. The attacks were debilitating and exhausted her physically and mentally.

On November 3rd, 2023, Alden, nearly unconscious and unable to walk or speak, was admitted into the ER at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Because she had been experiencing migraines and other significant neurological issues, the doctors ordered a CT scan, which revealed a large mass on her brain causing significant brain swelling and hemorrhaging. She was rushed into emergency surgery and underwent a craniotomy the morning of November 4th.

We’ve learned that the tumor is a high-grade brain cancer. The exact type of brain cancer and prognosis are currently unknown, and we are awaiting the final pathology and molecular test results. We know that the neurosurgeon was able to remove a majority of the tumor, but due to its size and complexity, he could not remove it all. Once Alden is healed from surgery, she will undergo radiation and chemotherapy in Nashville to target the remaining cancer. Unfortunately, Alden’s medical team believes Alden will have the tumor and undergo some form of cancer treatment for the rest of her life.

The doctors have confirmed that the ‘panic attacks’ Alden had been experiencing were in fact seizures caused by the tumor. The neurosurgeon has said that if Alden had not come into the hospital when she did, she likely would have died within days. He also stated that they only see a rare case like Alden’s once every one to two years. We are eternally grateful to her boyfriend, Aaron, for advocating for Alden and getting her the help she needed in order to save her life.

Alden has been in high spirits with great humor while in the hospital, making friends with her entire care team and leaving a lasting impact on everyone she meets. The medical staff have said she is a miracle and have been imperative to her healing process.

Those fortunate enough to know Alden know just how strong, determined, passionate and special she is. Even after a life altering diagnosis, Alden repeatedly says: “My goal in life is to make other people happy. I want to make their days a little easier, and their world’s a little brighter”. She is always thinking about how to improve the world around her.

Alden has a long and arduous fight ahead of her and won’t be able to work while recovering from brain surgery, or while undergoing radiation and chemotherapy. Donations will be going toward her cancer treatment and basic living expenses. If you would like to donate in another capacity, please contact a family member.

We cannot thank you enough for all of the love and support for our dearest Alden.

With love and gratitude,

Parker, Carson, and the rest of the Williams Family

A message from Alden: “Thank you to all who have been there for me thus far. This truly takes a village and I can confidently say that I have an incredible one. During one of the darkest of times, I’ve decided to look for the light by embracing the cancer. I’ve named the tumor ‘Tina Tumor’ so that we can dance together through this journey. As Tina Turner once said: “My legacy is that I stayed on course… from beginning to the end because I believed in something inside of me”. I look forward to giving many more updates along the way. Xoxo”