Teen Boxing Champion Is Now In The Fight Of Her Life Against Cancer

Jesselyn Silva, a 16-year-old boxing prodigy, is used to fighting in matches, but now she has the biggest fight yet ahead of her after she’s been diagnosed with brain cancer.

Her diagnosis came after she had been experiencing problems with her eyesight. She initially went to the eye doctor, who saw something while looking at her eye and told her to go to the emergency room for a CT scan.

During the scan, the doctor saw a mass and said surgery would need to be performed in order to drain fluid and relieve pressure on her brain.

After the scan results came back, Silva learned that she had Diffuse Midline Glioma, or Glioblastoma, an aggressive cancer of the brain or spinal cord.

Silva first stepped into the ring at the age of 7, and has been boxing ever since.

She is a two-time National Boxing Champion and is ranked first in two different weight classes.

Sadly, she was unable to compete at the last national tournament due to her cancer, so USA Boxing made her an honorary national champion and sent her a championship belt with an honorary plaque.

While Silva is used to fighting in the ring, cancer is the toughest opponent she’s ever had to face.

Despite this, she remains resilient and continues to fight and think positively.

Silva and her family hope her story will bring awareness to Gliobastoma (DIPG), and how underfunded it is.

Approximately 300 children per year are affected by DIPG. It is most common in children aged five to ten years old, but can happen to anyone.

Currently, DIPG carries a ten percent chance of a two-year survival, a two percent chance of a five-year survival and a zero percent survival rate overall.

“Yes, those numbers are correct and solely because the treatment for this very aggressive, swift moving cancer has remained the same for over 40 YEARS!” Silva’s family wrote on her GoFundMe. “Extension of life should NOT be the go to treatment. This was also the case for leukemia many years ago, but with increased awareness there is now a credible treatment. Together I hope to share Jesselyn’s story along with the stories of the thousands of children throughout the years to help increase awareness donation and funding.”

Learn more about Silva’s story in the video below:

Provide Mammograms

Support those fighting Breast Cancer at The Breast Cancer Site for free!

Whizzco