Thank You, From Hayden: Expert Treatment for Rare Spinal Tumor Strengthened a Teenager's Passion for Health Care

In the fall of 2026, 18-year-old Hayden stepped onto the University of Missouri campus as an honors college student who was accepted into the college’s competitive pre-nursing program. Her dedication to pursuing a career in health care was reinforced during her senior year of high school when, after feeling discomfort in her left arm, she was diagnosed with a tumor.

“I was scared,” Hayden says. “The tumor affected the nerves in my left arm. That’s the one I write with.”

WashU Medicine physicians and care teams at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Barnes-Jewish Hospital—both part of BJC HealthCare—delivered leading-edge treatment that helped Hayden recover while keeping her at the center of every decision.

Hayden and her family met WashU Medicine physicians determined to deliver answers. She met nurses who, on top of caring for her, encouraged her to take the leap of applying to honors college. And as soon as Hayden could hold a pen in her left hand again, her appreciation flowed as she wrote thank-you notes from her hospital bed.

“These doctors and nurses made a really big impact on my life,” Hayden says.

More than a tennis injury

Hayden first noticed the ache in her left arm during a tennis lesson. She shrugged it off, thinking it was just soreness from her left-handed serve. But months later, after she alerted her pediatrician that the same area hurt when she sneezed, scans revealed a spinal tumor. The growth was located at the base of her neck, where the neck transitions into the upper back and shoulders.

This news arrived the same week Hayden started her senior year of high school. She also learned she would need additional testing to determine if the tumor was cancerous.

After consulting with her pediatrician, friends, and family, Hayden and her parents turned to WashU Medicine and BJC HealthCare for help. For more than a century, the two organizations have worked together to offer patients unmatched care and compassion. WashU Medicine physicians are the exclusive medical providers at nationally ranked Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital, along with Siteman Cancer Center, one of the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the region.

Hayden would be cared for by a highly specialized and experienced team of WashU Medicine physicians, have access to innovative treatment options for spinal tumors, and benefit from 3D printing technology that could precisely replicate her tumor and its location so doctors could prepare the best possible plan for surgery. This blend of experience and advanced medicine helped Hayden and her family feel a sense of reassurance during an uncertain time.

The personalized care also had another advantage. It could be tailored not just to Hayden’s condition, but also to her age.

Being diagnosed with a tumor and having to undergo surgery has been the most difficult hardship I have ever had to overcome.

—Hayden, in a thank-you card to her care team

A call that calmed

Hayden’s mom, Susan, quickly received a phone call from Jarod Roland, MD, a WashU Medicine pediatric neurosurgeon at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Dr. Roland told the family he could see Hayden immediately.

Testing at St. Louis Children’s Hospital determined Hayden’s tumor was noncancerous. That was a relief. But the situation was still serious.

Hayden was diagnosed with a giant cell tumor, a rare, noncancerous bone tumor. If left untreated, giant cell tumors can cause pain, swelling, joint stiffness, limited range of motion, and broken bones. When located on the spine, these tumors can become life-threatening due to their potential impact on the spinal cord and vital nerves. The tumor needed to be removed, and the surgery would require highly specialized expertise and meticulous planning due to its sensitive location.

“This surgery was complex and had several critical stages," Dr. Roland says. “We had to remove the tumor entirely, while minimizing the risk of it growing back and avoiding injuring Hayden's nerves, which could compromise her hand function and strength. We also had to reconstruct the stability of the spine after we removed the tumor.”

Dr. Roland partnered with Camilo Molina, MD, a WashU Medicine neurological spine surgeon and director of the spinal tumor service at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Dr. Molina specializes in treating adults who have complex spinal disorders and spinal tumors that require highly specialized treatment and surgical planning.

By working together, Dr. Roland and Dr. Molina combined their experience in caring for pediatric patients and subspecialty expertise, ensuring Hayden received not only the best pediatric care for her growing spine, but also a surgical plan shaped by a leader in complex spinal tumor care.

The right feeling

For teenagers and their families, the transition between pediatric and adult medicine can be difficult. Hayden, who was 17 when her tumor was discovered, was squarely in that space. Her care benefited from the close relationship between St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. The nationally recognized adult and pediatric hospitals work closely together and are on the same campus.

“That was a very important decision that I felt strongly about at the beginning,” Susan says. “At St. Louis Children’s, we had therapy dogs and people making her laugh. They made it appropriate for her age. It was just the right feeling for us.”

Hayden adds: “They’re used to caring for kids. It made me feel very comfortable.”

Leading up to surgery, thanks to guidance offered by Amy Armstrong, MD, a WashU Medicine pediatric oncologist at Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Hayden received injections of denosumab, a newer medication that can shrink and harden giant cell tumors before surgery, making their removal more effective.

Dr. Molina asked the 3D printing team at St. Louis Children's Hospital to turn scans of Hayden’s spine and tumor into a precise plastic replica that members of Hayden’s care team could hold in their hands as they finalized their plans for surgery.

“This type of surgery would not be possible without the amazingly detailed and accurate 3D models this team creates for us with both speed and precision,” Dr. Molina says.

In January, standing side by side, Dr. Molina and Dr. Roland performed Hayden’s surgeries at Barnes-Jewish. St. Louis Children’s provided child-center care before and after.

The first surgery lasted 13 hours and achieved its goal. The tumor was removed with clear margins, meaning no tumor tissue remained at the edges of the surgical area. Hayden’s doctors believe the result dropped the likelihood of tumor recurrence to below 5%, a highly reassuring number.

A second, shorter surgery came soon after to correct the positioning of Hayden’s spine following the removal of the tumor. This surgery positioned her spine for proper healing and long-term stability.

“The second surgery was our commitment to never settling,” Dr. Roland says. “We put a lot of thought into that decision. We used additional imaging, examined Hayden together at the bedside, and spoke with her parents, who know her best, before deciding she would be best off if we made a small adjustment. Ultimately, it was clearly the right decision, as her spine alignment looks perfect now. We aim to keep it that way.”

You are the primary reason I am able to move past this experience and become healthy again.

—Hayden, in a thank-you card to her care team

A helpful nudge from nurses

Back at St. Louis Children’s during her recovery, Hayden did more than rest. Conversations with nurses left a lasting impression—and helped inspire an honors college acceptance.

Hayden was already interested in pursuing a career in health care before her tumor was discovered, but experiencing advanced care as a patient made things personal. She felt more confident about her recovery as she asked carefully researched questions. She quizzed St. Louis Children’s nurses about their careers. When she shared with those nurses her hesitation about applying to the University of Missouri’s honors college despite her class-leading 4.2 GPA and a list of accomplishments that included National Honor Society president and class secretary, their encouragement inspired Hayden to reconsider.

She applied online from her hospital room. Later, she learned she had been accepted, which also meant she secured direct admittance into the University of Missouri’s pre-nursing program. After thinking she was on the right path before, now Hayden knew. She sensed her determination to help others increase.

“I knew Hayden would be a good caregiver,” Susan says. “But I feel like this changed something in her. And if we had not been here at St. Louis Children’s, she would not have applied to the honors college.”

Honors college application paperwork wasn’t the only thing completed before Hayden was discharged following her 10-day stay at St. Louis Children’s. Almost as soon as she could move her left arm, her dominant one that was most threatened by the tumor, she started writing thank-you cards to her doctors, nurses, and other caregivers.

“They were so good at answering our questions,” Hayden says. “Knowing more information made it easier to process everything and the doubts and concerns I had.”

Hayden was discharged from St. Louis Children’s wearing a neck brace that she was quickly cleared to remove. Her care team coordinated with a physical therapy location close to her home to make her rehabilitation more convenient. Her follow-up appointments scaled back because of her encouraging progress.

Hayden, now 18, has big plans. Maybe a career in pediatric oncology. Maybe crisscrossing the country as a travel nurse. Maybe humanitarian work helping children in places where quality health care can be hard to find. She began her college journey focused not on what was taken from her, but how the care she received made her purpose so clear.

Individuals like you are the reason why I want to pursue a degree in the medical field. Thank you so much for saving my life and inspiring me to become a better version of myself.

—Hayden, in a thank-you card to her care team

Some health conditions require expertise that bridges pediatric and adult medicine. St. Louis Children's Hospital, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and WashU Medicine work together to connect teenagers and young adults with the right specialists, advanced treatment options, and compassionate support. Learn more about our neurosurgery program.