Bowling Green preteen fighting for her life against a one-of-a-kind brain cancer
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A Bowling Green elementary school student is beginning a cancer treatment for an extremely rare form of cancer.
Piper Leonard is the very first to have this type of cancer in her brain.
Back in the Spring of 2025 her mother, Laura Bratcher, noticed Piper was holding head to the side and having double vision in her right eye.
After an ophthalmologist appointment, an MRI was scheduled, where doctors identified a tumor in the left sphere of Piper’s brain.
She was immediately scheduled with a neurosurgeon who informed them that the tumor was likely cancerous.
Piper had a craniotomy, where the surgeon was able to remove 98% of the tumor.
After molecular study, doctors diagnosed her with a rare GLI1 altered mesenchymal tumor. There are only 169 diagnosed cases of this type of cancer in the world, and Piper is the first person to have it in the brain.
The cancer cells are genetic fusion cells so they can regrow and metastasize.
Another brain surgery was not possible so, focal proton radiation was the next option to kill that tiny piece of tumor left behind.
“We just don’t know what is next. We don’t know what is next because it’s so rare. It’s sad to wish for a different kind of cancer , where there are tens of thousands of children who have been treated and success stories and we just don’t know,” said Bratcher.
Piper’s spirits are high, saying she’s glad her hair won’t fall out with this treatment, but she’s not a fan of all the pokes and scans.
“One time they gave me, like, a nose spray and it was really scary, and it wouldn’t work and it was making me scared of hospitals. And so, I had to start doing a mask for MRIs. I hate contrast. I hate IVs. Like, I’m completely scared of needles,” said Piper.
Tuesday was day two of the six-week treatment in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the family is staying for the time being.
“It’s not that bad. They usually pretty much, like, shiny red light on you on it. After that you feel, like, kind of tired and like, heavy. The side effects go away really quickly,” said Piper.
“We are hoping and praying that this is a curative type of thing, but they’ll always be monitoring and hopefully no more, you know, tumors will form,” said Bratcher.
The family has a GoFundMe to help cover bills while Bratcher is with her daughter and a Wishlist for Piper.
Bratcher says they have already received assistance from several groups such as Book for Hope, Granted, Bold and Brave, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, Fight Like Dozer, Be Positive, and Lakeview Fellowship Church.
