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‘My world stopped’: White Rock resident nearly loses ability to walk due to spinal tumour

Logan La Roue is supporting the Millionaire Lottery to help hospitals, medical centers
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Logan La Roue underwent extensive rehab to learn how to walk again after her spinal tumour was successfully removed, leading to her chronic pain being cured. (Contributed photo)

A close call with a large tumour threatened to rob Logan La Roue of her ability to walk while she was still in her mid-20s.

Thanks to spinal surgery she received at Vancouver General Hospital, however, the White Rock woman is well on the road to recovery, and part of that journey includes raising awareness about funding that supports the tools helping her along the way.

What began in her early 20s as “confusing leg and hip pain” was dismissed as “nothing serious” because of her age, La Roue recounts in a release promoting VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation and Millionaire Lottery.

After living in pain for nearly five years, things took a turn for the worst for the now-27-year-old. While at a friend’s wedding in Costa Rica, she completely lost control of her leg.

“I ended up coming home and immediately going back to my family doctor,” La Roue said.

“I said, ‘You need to get me an MRI or an X-ray or something right away.’”

Although she was losing her ability to walk and thought she was going to fall at any moment, the X-ray did not reveal anything out of the ordinary.

“But the pain continued. I just started losing all sensation in my lower body, which was really scary,” La Roue said.

She was able to get an MRI scan one night and the next morning, received an emergency call from her doctor.

The scan showed that a large spinal tumour, called schwannoma “was essentially choking Logan’s motor nerves.”

She was advised to remain as still as possible because too much movement could cause the tumour to sever the nerves and lead to paralysis of her legs.

“My world stopped,” La Roue recalled.

“It was really, really scary. I immediately sat down. I phoned my family, and we made a plan to have someone take me down to VGH.”

At VGH, a medical team led by Dr. Tamir Ailon — who specializes in spinal deformity in adults — began working on La Roue’s tumour. On March 20, spinal surgery was performed on her schwannoma. It went exactly as planned and La Roue woke up to good news.

But her recovery was far from complete.

“I had to relearn how to walk again,” she said, pointing to numerous rehabilitation sessions that included using a walker and working with physiotherapists.

La Roue is now feeling “thankful” that most of her strength is back, which is why she is supporting the Millionaire Lottery.

Money raised through the lottery will fund research, advancements in health care and purchase of medical equipment at VGH, UBC Hospital, GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, Vancouver Community Health Services and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute.

The winner of the lottery can choose from several grand prizes, two of which include homes in South Surrey and White Rock.

Tickets are now on sale until Jan. 12, 2023 at midnight or until they sell out at www.millionairelottery.com


@SobiaMoman
sobia.moman@peacearchnews.com

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Sobia Moman

About the Author: Sobia Moman

Sobia Moman is a news and features reporter with the Peace Arch News.
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