Lisa's Story

"I was about to go to church with my family and I started stuttering. Then, I blacked out. The next thing I knew I was in an ambulance."

These were Lisa Starr's first symptoms of a brain tumor - one that took up nearly twenty-five percent of her brain. She was rushed to a Mid-Michigan hospital. Here, she received the news that she may have only weeks to live. Her family was told to take her home and make her comfortable.

She and her family politely declined to take this advice.

They found Dr. Mark Rosenblum and the team at the Hermelin Brain Tumor Center. Within a matter of days Lisa underwent surgery to remove the tumor - a glioblastoma. After surgery removed 95 percent of the tumor, she underwent six weeks of radiation and oral chemotherapy for six months.

With the help of the coordinated care of the Hermelin Brain Tumor Center, this faith-filled mother of two not only beat the odds, she is thankful for the experience. Today, she is cancer-free.

"It was an amazing experience. Lisa Scarpace, Sandra, Dr. Rosenblum and the radiation ladies were phenomenal.

"Now, even my family members say, 'If Lisa can go through what she went through, so can you.'"

Her incredible outlook helped her endure this devastating diagnosis. The care she received helped her become the first person in her family to survive cancer.

"God's word says that by the stripes of Jesus we are healed. Don't focus on the problem. It was my faith that got me through. If I looked at it any other way I wouldn't be here."