College Student’s Headaches Dismissed as ‘Stress.’ Then She’s Diagnosed with a Brain Tumor the Size of a Tennis Ball

A 21-year-old university student from Arlington, Virginia, has recounted her harrowing experience of being misdiagnosed with stress headaches, only to discover that her symptoms were caused by a benign brain tumour. Gillian Keating’s journey serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of seeking second opinions in medical care.

Keating, a student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, first noticed severe headaches and persistent nausea while preparing for her finals in December 2025. Initially, a visit to her doctor led to a diagnosis of “stress headaches” attributed to her academic workload. However, as time progressed, her symptoms intensified, increasingly affecting her daily life. “I thought that was weird, and then progressively I kept having episodes of migraines where I couldn’t even move or breathe,” she said. The debilitating pain culminated in instances where she would faint, prompting her to seek further medical attention.

Upon returning home for the Christmas holidays, Keating consulted with another physician who, recognising the severity of her symptoms, promptly ordered an MRI scan in January 2026. “Within days, my life completely changed,” she expressed in a GoFundMe post, reflecting on the rapid shift in her circumstances that followed.

The MRI results revealed a two-inch brain tumour, approximately the size of a tennis ball. Despite being classified as benign, doctors indicated that it had likely been developing for the past three to four years, pressing against the left frontal cortex of her brain, which plays a critical role in cognitive function, motor control, and speech. Keating described her shock upon receiving the diagnosis, stating, “I was stunned. That was the last thing that I would have expected.”

Urgently advised to go to the emergency room for surgical intervention, Keating was apprehensive about the craniotomy she was scheduled to undergo. “I was scared and worried about the surgery. I didn’t know what the neurological effects would be after,” she recalled.

Following a six-hour operation to remove the tumour, Keating has now entered a new chapter of her recovery. While she successfully overcame the surgery, she now faces the prospect of radiation treatment to mitigate any risk of recurrence. This unforeseen turn of events has meant that her academic plans have been significantly altered. “It’s crazy that what I thought was college stress got to this point,” she remarked, acknowledging the impact on her studies and future career.

Keating was set to graduate in the spring and had secured a job placement, but her situation has now necessitated an additional semester and time away from her social support network, which has added to her emotional challenges. “That’s just the mental kick of it,” she stated, emphasising the strain of being distanced from friends and her educational environment during her recovery.

As a result of her experience, Keating has become an advocate for patients to trust their instincts and seek further opinions if they feel their concerns are being overlooked. “If I hadn’t kept asking and going to the doctor with the pain, then I wouldn’t know I had a tumour,” she explained, stressing the importance of persistence in medical care. “You need to keep asking your doctors and pushing for it, and they need to listen to you,” she advised, in the hope that her story might inspire others to be proactive about their health.

In an age where medical resources are plentiful, Keating’s story serves as a critical reminder of the complexities involved in diagnosis and the value of vigilant self-advocacy when faced with unfamiliar challenges. As she embarks on her recovery journey, her courageous tale not only highlights personal resilience but also encourages a collective awareness of the necessity for effective communication within healthcare settings.