Laura Nemes, 18, of St. Genevieve-St. Maurice Parish in Livonia will study neuroscience at Grand Valley State University this fall after her own recovery — thanks to lots of prayers — from a brain tumor.Livonia — When 16-year-old Laura Nemes started having headaches in the spring of 2013, doctors said they were typical adolescent migraines — until an MRI that July revealed a brain tumor.
Laura’s mother, Katie Nemes, remembers driving home from the appointment.
“They weren’t expecting to find anything on the MRI,” she said. “So when (the doctor) told us he found a tumor, I called Fr. Vogan as soon as we got in the car.”
The Nemes belong to St. Genevieve-St. Maurice Parish in Livonia, where pastor Fr. Howard Vogan celebrates healing Masses on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Laura’s MRI was on the second Tuesday.
“Fr. Vogan asked us to come to Mass that night, and he called other families in the parish who had experienced healing from the Masses and asked them to come, too,” Katie Nemes said. “He made that night’s Mass into a healing Mass, and friends from our parish and our family were there to pray for Laura.”
Two days later, Laura was in surgery at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. The surgery ended sooner than planned, and the family received dreaded news: the tumor was inoperable.
Laura spent a month in the hospital recovering from the surgery, which provided some relief from the headaches due to the removal of a cyst and fluid on the brain. Upon her release, Laura was able to spend time with her cross country team from Divine Child High School, as well as with her extended family at her uncle’s cottage on Lake Charlevoix.
“I sat there thinking this would be the last time I’d be sitting by a campfire with my cousins,” Laura said.
After a review of Laura’s case by a tumor board of area doctors, the new course of treatment was determined: 82 weeks of chemotherapy, with a goal of shrinking the tumor in order to remove it. Laura would be well into her senior year before the chemotherapy was complete, and would miss several days of school each week.
Katie and Joe, Laura’s father, sought second and third opinions. Through friends, they were put in contact with two people on the tumor board at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.
The board reviewed Laura’s case, after which Katie received a call while driving home from work. The woman on the phone from St. Jude’s asked her to pull over to the side of the road, and then gave her the news that the surgeon, Dr. Frederick Boop, was confident he could successfully remove the tumor.
Despite concerns about the risks of another surgery, Laura and her parents decided to move ahead with St. Jude.
“It was worth the risk to me,” Laura said.
Joe credits the late Dr. Dan Pieper, an area neurosurgeon and friend of the family, for providing encouragement when he was having doubts about changing course.
“He told me that if it were his daughter, he would do it,” Joe said. “That meant the world to us. Without him, I’m not sure where we’d be right now.”
Dr. Pieper wasn’t the only one offering support. Joe’s 10 siblings and their families prayed for Laura daily. The night before Laura’s second surgery, her aunt and pediatrician Dr. Margaret McKeough-Nemes gathered the extended family to pray a rosary. They used FaceTime to connect with Laura, Joe and Katie in Memphis.
Laura’s siblings were part of the group praying back in Michigan as well. Sean is two years older than Laura, and Colleen is 16 months younger.
“My aunt told me to have that blind faith and trust that God has a better plan,” Colleen said.
In Memphis, the 12-hour surgery went as hoped, and Dr. Boop was able to remove more than 90 percent of the tumor.
Despite the expected three- to four-week hospital stay, Laura left the hospital just one week later, needing no chemotherapy, radiation, or even physical therapy. Her motivation for getting out of the hospital bed so soon was simple.
“I didn’t want to spend another month in the hospital like the first time,” she said.
Laura’s love of running was another incentive. She cites her cross country team as a major source of support. When Laura participated in the final race of the season just two months after her surgery, her teammates crossed the finish line with her.
The Nemes have participated in fundraising walks for St. Jude’s and the American Brain Tumor Association; Laura also mentors other young people with serious health issues.
In August, the 18-year-old will head to Grand Valley State University for nursing, specializing in neuroscience.
“This is really a story of the power of prayer,” Katie Nemes explained. “We attribute her healing to the rosaries and healing Masses, and the prayers of hundreds of family and friends and so many people we don’t even know.”
Laura and her parents agree that even in the difficult moments, God was there.
“Every door we needed opened, He opened it for us,” said Katie. “Everything we needed, He gave us.”
