On Jan. 17, 2020, just weeks after an MRI revealed she had a grape-sized tumor in her spinal cord, Diamond DeShields underwent surgery at the University of Chicago. What was expected to be a three-hour surgery to remove the lumbar spinal schwannoma evolved into a nine-hour procedure.
Heading into the surgery, DeShields knew there were risks.
"One of the possible complications is paralysis, because we are operating around the nerves inside the spine," said Dr. Edwin Ramos, the neurologist who performed DeShields' surgery.
But if the tumor was not removed, it also could cause paralysis due to pressure on the spinal cord.