SHE’S strutting around with her usual demands in and out of the house and if it were not for the bandages on the left side of her head, it would be hard to believe that this little fighter has just recently had brain surgery to remove a cancerous tumour in her brain.

Seventeen-month-old Nuraan Abrahams of Las Vegas in Paarl East was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour in January.

Surgeons were able to remove 85% of the tumour, but could not remove it all, as the little girl was bleeding too much and they feared damaging her brain in the process.

It has been a trying and strenuous past month for her parents, Yusuf and Nabeelah Abrahams, as Nabeelah also gave prematurely birth to the couple’s third child recently.

In October last year, Nuraan suffered a serious seizure, but a brain scan revealed nothing negative. Little did the Abrahamse know how quickly such a brain tumour can grow.

“It all started with Nuraan becoming very restless and she would cry continuously. We noticed whenever she cried, she would then hold her head with her little hands”, said Nabeelah.

They then attributed this to teething pains for which medication was prescribed for by a doctor.

But Nuraan’s pain continued and they took her to Paarl Hospital where she was referred to an ear specialist for infection.

The specialist then referred them to a paediatrician who took tests and referred her for a scan.

The scan finally revealed that the tumour on the left side of her brain had already spilled over to the right side. She was immediately rushed to Red Cross Hospital where surgeons operated.

“With God’s blessings, Nuraan has recovered remarkably. Doctors feared that she might lose her speech or be paralysed on the left side of her body after the operation, but as God willed, our little girl has recovered and is normal,” said a relieved Yusuf.

The Abrahamse are now getting ready to discuss the type of chemotheraphy Nuraan will undergo.“We are so relieved to know the diagnosis, as our daughter really suffered with pain.

“We are also grateful for the care and assistance we receive from our families,” they say.