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Brain tumor diagnosis didn’t shake her faith

Surviving brain surgery and cancer-free against all odds, area woman, 25, is grateful despite terminal diagnosis.

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By Kim Margolis, Staff Writer Updated 5:11 PM Wednesday, November 25, 2009

SPRINGFIELD — Last year at this time, Debbie France was recovering from brain surgery. A tumor was successfully removed, but doctors told her other tumors would develop and she would die within a year.

“My first thought was, ‘OK, it’s going to be all right. I’m a Christian and I believe in Jesus,’ ” said France of Springfield. “To be honest, everyone looked at me like I was crazy.”

Nobody looks at her like she’s crazy now, as France, 25, will today celebrate her second Thanksgiving since her prognosis.

Not only is she still here, but a recent MRI shows she has no tumors.

“I’m just starting to see there are reasons for everything in life if you let God show it to you,” France said. “So I’m very grateful. If this tumor would never have happened, I would not have had all these experiences I’m having now.”

Last September, she was at work at Stahl Vision in Beavercreek when she got a migraine. Hours later came the brain tumor diagnosis. Five days later, France was undergoing surgery at Kettering Medical Center to remove the tumor.

Two weeks later she received biopsy results that indicated more tumors would occur. Two tumors indeed started to form in April.

Doctors told her she would live six to nine months.

France believes her faith and her will to see her 2-year-old son Elijah graduate from high school have kept her alive.

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