In 2023, Zariea suffered a concussion when she was elbowed in the head during a high school basketball practiceWhen her severe headaches, loss of her peripheral vision, and sleepiness got increasingly worse over the next several days, Zariea’s mom, Donisha, decided to bring her to Children’s Hospital Colorado. An MRI there revealed that Zariea’s symptoms were not just due to her concussion; she had a malignant tumor on the right side of her brain, called a low-grade pontine glioma.

Zariea and Donisha were devastated, but Donisha said the accident turned out to be a blessing in disguise, since it alerted the family to her condition. Brain surgery to remove the tumor carried too many risks for the young teenager, so Zariea started chemotherapy, getting infusions at Children’s Colorado, Colorado Springs, which would sometimes last the whole day.

Although the 12 rounds of chemotherapy treatment Zariea endured were grueling, she kept a positive attitude, staying focused on all that she hoped to accomplish in high school and beyond, including a dream to one day go to college at UCLA. After a year of chemotherapy, which often made her weak and nauseous, Zariea was able to ring the Balloon Bell to mark the end of her treatment and celebrate her resilience and bravery. As a three-sport athlete who participates in basketball, volleyball and track and field, Zariea was eager to be back to 100% on the court and the field.

Now 16 years old and a junior in high school, Zariea gives back to her community as a volunteer and school leader. She aspires to become a general surgeon or traveling nurse one day.

Although Zariea’s tumor was stable for many months, it recently started to grow, so she began treatment again. Her hopes and ambitions for the future continue to sustain her as she undergoes her second round of therapy for her brain tumor.