A woman who ran a family business faces the battle of her life amid the fear of never walking without help again.
Until last month, Rosanna Scarcella was a fit, strong and very active 40-year-old woman.
The Melbourne waitress served hundreds of customers each shift at her pub in Essendon, walking up and down 50 flights of stairs a day.
Then, tragically, Rosanna was diagnosed with a brain tumor and her life changed instantly.
It happened during a busy weekend shift, when Rosanna found it difficult to lift her right leg, which felt like it was slack and heavy.
The unusual problem had disappeared after a good night’s rest.
But when Rosanna returned to work she fell down the stairs, causing a 20cm cut to her head and beginning her ordeal.
Rosanna saw her family doctor. who told him to go to the emergency room immediately.
Rosanna Scarcella (pictured) served hundreds of customers each shift working at her family’s pub in Essendon, north of Melbourne, until her tragic journey began.
Rosanna (pictured) in hospital
Multiple neurological tests were performed before a brain CT scan revealed a 3cm tumor near the left side of the main blood vein.
The tumor pressed on the top of his brain, causing movement problems.
“This was the day everything changed.” his sister Joanne Scarcella wrote a GoFundMe page.
“The sudden shock of receiving that news and realizing that he may never regain the full capacity he’s used to, made everything even harder to process mentally.”
Rosanna underwent surgery to remove the tumor, but could not move her right foot when she woke up.
The biopsy results will reveal whether the tumor was malignant and Rosanna hopes the physiotherapist will regain feeling in her foot.
At this time, it is unknown if Rosanna will ever be able to walk without assistance.
Before her health battle, Rosanna (pictured) lived a simple, independent life, working for the family business, hanging out with close friends and family, and caring for her goddaughter.
Joanne says her sister is consumed by “fear and anxiety that she will never be able to live a normal life, that her brain will never be able to rewire; and fears never to work again.
“The horrific injuries he suffered falling down the stairs, the 20cm cut on his head, not being able to walk, looking in the mirror and feeling unrecognizable, this trauma has changed his life forever,” he added.
Before her health battle, Rosanna led a simple, routine and independent life, working for the family business, hanging out with family and close friends, and caring for her goddaughter.
Rosanna admitted to her sister that she regrets not acting on the frequent headaches she had experienced over the years.
“She said, ‘You know, I wish they would have tested me and not just taken a Panadol and kept jogging,'” Joanne said. Yahoo News
The road ahead for Rosanna is physically and mentally daunting.
“The doctors don’t specify anything,” Joanne told Yahoo News.
“The brain is so unique to each patient that I guess they don’t want to confirm anything… we’re just sitting ducks and praying and working with her.”
The family created GoFundMe to ease “the financial burden this traumatic situation has placed on Rosanna.”
Funds raised will go towards Rosanna’s medical and rehabilitation costs.
Joanne wrote that donations will help support “the long and difficult journey ahead of us to get her back up and walking as soon as possible.”
In recent weeks, almost $31,500 has been raised.