American Idol alum Avalon Young to undergo surgery for brain cancer, family asks for financial help
Avalon Young, who made the top eight on American Idol in 2016, is asking fans for help as she prepares for her second surgery for brain cancer.
The 26-year-old singer announced her diagnosis April 3, after she underwent a 16-hour surgery in February to "remove a tumor the size of a peach." Her family set up a GoFundMe to help with medical costs, and Young's doctors said she will need a second surgery May 27, followed by "weeks of radiation and chemotherapy."
"Avalon has minimal insurance, is an independent artist, and self-supporting singer/ songwriter," the GoFundMe page says. "We hope to help her with some of the financial burden as a result of these medical expenses."
As of Monday, the campaign has raised more than $46,000 toward its $100,000 goal.
Young competed on season 15 of American Idol and made it to the final eight, but she was eliminated after performing "Earned It" during the show's Grammy Hits week.
In February, she revealed to fans on Instagram that she began "having simple partial seizures" in November. Doctors initially misdiagnosed her seizures as stemming from anxiety and "an issue with serotonin," before an MRI test — which she included in her Instagram post — showed she had a mass legion tumor on her left frontal lobe.
Young told fans about her official diagnosis earlier this month, writing, "got some of the worst news ever after thinking i was fully recovering after this tumor surgery. i've got cancer in my brain and i gotta boss up and take care of it."
She continued, "unreal to receive this news at the age of 26. everything is gonna be okay, the journey is gonna be wild, but i'm ready for it. love you guys a ton. f*ck cancer."
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