STORY UPDATED MARCH 11, 2026, AFTER SUCCESSFUL SURGERY!

Watching my 28-year-old niece, Savana, transition from high school graduate, to college student, to skilled welder, to wife, and finally to mother was amazing. I am particularly impressed and very proud that she chose a trade that’s unusual for women. Only about 6% of welders in the United States are female, and she’s among them because of her fierce determination, passion, and heart. She has generously mentored others and has deservedly risen to a role that allows her to design what others will weld.

From my perspective, she did all the right things to build the life she wanted.

Last November, so much went wrong with this picture.

Suffering from severe headaches and significant vision loss in her left eye, Savana was diagnosed with a very rare tumor in the socket behind her eye – an orbital schwannoma.

The tumor was pressing on the optic nerve and continuing to grow. Surgeons at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Oregon, tried to remove it, but it was beyond their expertise. The only options they could give Savana were removal of her eye so they could also extract the tumor or radiation to try to shrink it.

Determined as ever to live her best life, Savana sought second opinions from world-class eye institutes in Massachusetts and Ohio. She found a team of surgeons at the Cole Eye Institute at Cleveland Clinic who were optimistic that they could extricate the tumor without sacrificing her eye. They gave no guarantees that she would regain her vision, but it was Savana’s only hope.

On March 9, 2026, Savana underwent several hours of delicate surgery that required removing a section of bone beneath her eyebrow. It resulted in successful and complete removal of the tumor! By the next day, Savana could move her left eye normally and had some vision, although she reported double images.

The relief was tremendous to Savana, her husband Eddie, and the strong circle of family, friends, and supporters who lifted her up in the weeks leading up to the surgery.

It will still take months, however, for Savana to recover at home from this major surgery and to determine whether she will regain normal vision in her left eye.

Donations to this GoFundMe generously carried Savana, her husband, Eddie, and their young son, Benjamin, through a storm of pre-surgery financial challenges due to medical costs not covered by insurance and multiple trips from Vancouver, Washington, for medical consultations, tests, the surgery, and a recovery period in Cleveland. Loss of income was also an issue prior to surgery and will continue to be a problem until Savana can return to work, hopefully sometime this summer. She is the family’s primary provider. Eddie is the chosen stay-at-home parent who normally supplements Savana’s income with part-time, home-based work.

The tremendous help that Savana, Eddie, and Benjamin have received through this fundraiser has literally been life-changing for them. Our entire family will forever be grateful for each person who has donated, shared the link, sent kind messages, prayed and hoped for a successful outcome, and otherwise lent their strength.

Now we are asking for continued support so that Savana can fully recover at home without the stress and worry of unpaid bills.

Our initial, modest goal for this fundraiser was $13,000. It was met in one week. Buoyed by the support and encouragement of friends and family, we established a secondary goal of $17,500, which was met in just five more days. There are no words to express our amazement and gratitude. Now we are asking for one more push – to a final goal of $30,000 – to help Savana and her family through the next few months of uncertainty.

I’m Laurie Olson, Savana’s aunt by marriage. I live in Nevada, they live in Washington, and this GoFundMe is my way of helping them from afar. I will continue to post updates regularly so you can follow her journey. Thank you for your support.