IOWA CITY, Iowa — Just six days after being admitted to Stead Family Children’s Hospital with an aggressive brain cancer diagnosis, Isabel “Izzy” Tilley graduated from high school surrounded by the people who helped her get there.
On May 29, Eagle Grove High School Principal Heidi Vasquez, guidance counselor Anthony Wubben, and several of Izzy’s teachers made the trip to Iowa City to personally present her diploma — a tribute to her perseverance and spirit in the face of adversity.
Izzy was hospitalized May 23 after a visit to the Unity Point Clinic for an ear ache. ” She had been having some unusual neurological symptoms besides,” her Mother, Cheryl Baughman-Tilley wrote on Facebook. “She was having slurred speech, unsteady gate, vision issues and some swallowing issues.” Referred to the Emergency Room in Fort Dodge, an MRI revealed a tumor at the base of Izzy’s brain, and she was quickly transferred to Iowa City. There, specialists diagnosed her with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) — a rare and aggressive form of pediatric brain cancer.
On Facebook, her mother shared that the tumor had only recently begun to grow, but was progressing rapidly. She wrote that Izzy had already met with neurologists, oncologists, physical and occupational therapists as her care team worked to determine the next steps.
Izzy’s diagnosis didn’t stop her from reaching the milestone she had worked toward for years. On May 29, her principal, guidance counselor, and several teachers stood with her at the hospital to hand her the diploma she had earned — a simple, heartfelt ceremony that spoke volumes about resilience, love, and community.
Graduations are new beginnings. And while Izzy Tilley has a fight ahead of her, her achievement is a clear sign that she has only just begun to fight.
