Baking for a cause: 12-year-old cancer survivor starts cookie business to support cancer research
When 12-year-old Layla Mathews began complaining of frequent headaches in 2019, her mom knew something was wrong.
“She kept having sinus issues and migraines. She couldn’t sit up without vomiting,” said Shannon Mathews. “Her teachers noticed she wasn’t focusing anymore. I knew something wasn’t right.”
After a CT scan at their local clinic, the family from Becker, Minn., found out Layla had a lime sized mass on the front right side of her brain. They were quickly referred to M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital, where Layla was diagnosed with anaplastic ependymoma, a rare form of brain cancer.
At M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital, Layla and her family met Christopher Moertel, MD, a pediatric neuro-oncologist and leader of the multidisciplinary medical team that partnered with the Mathews to find the best course of treatment for Layla.
“When I’m assessing my patients, I pay attention to their quality of life,” Moertel said. “I want to preserve all we can to make sure their loves and passions are still practical. For example, Layla is a golfer. It was important to us that she was still able to do what she loved.”
M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital has a long, proud history of providing breakthrough childhood cancer care. Many doctors at the hospital are also faculty members at University of Minnesota Medical School and leaders in cancer research, which means our patients get access to leading-edge therapies and clinical trials that aren’t available anywhere else in Minnesota.
