TAMPA, Fla. — As kids head back to class, Tampa Bay 28 Anchor Lauren St. Germain is highlighting the voice of a local educator.
This year, she is back in the classroom full-time, but last year, she faced a significant medical challenge. She is now back in her classroom, delivering a powerful lesson to her students and everyone.
For Jennifer Anderson, the media center at Adum Pre K-8 Magnet School in Tampa is her classroom. Anderson is the media specialist there.
The media center is also where she had a life-changing moment.
“This was where the seizure happened. I was sitting here working on our morning show script and I was just jerking this way,” said Anderson.
She continued, “I went ahead and took a video of myself because I knew my husband wasn’t going to believe it, and I didn’t really understand what was happening."
Anderson says the nurses at school called 911 and she went to Tampa General Hospital. After significant testing, she learned she did have a seizure, and doctors found a low-grade glioma in her brain.
“Gliomas are a family of brain tumors that are called primary brain tumors which mean they come from the actual brain cells themselves so they are not a metastasis. They do not come from other parts of the body,” said Dr. David Voce, TGH Neurosurgeon and assistant professor in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Brain & Spine.
He added, “In Jennifer’s case, she had a lower-grade tumor, which means for her case it was a much better prognosis, especially with a large tumor recession and therapy with chemotherapy and radiation."
“I was told by the physicians that if anybody wants a brain tumor, I had the perfect brain tumor at the perfect location at the right time,” said Anderson.
“The reason she was so fortunate is because we could go in and literally resect the majority of her right frontal lobe because you have two frontal lobes and we know we can surgically remove one frontal lobe and still be who you are. Still function as a normal human being,” said Dr. Voce.
Shortly after, Anderson had the surgery to remove the tumor, followed by chemotherapy and radiation, all of which kept her out of school for a while.
“I just hated that loss of control of my daily life and I wanted to be here at school. I had just finished up with some kindergarten classes and my middle school students, so I wanted to be back for them – we had some big things planned and so I couldn’t imagine not being there,” said Anderson
Now, it’s a new school year and Anderson is back to where she loves to be.
“The surgery was September 5, 2024,” said Anderson.
“How are you feeling?” asked St. Germain.
“I feel fantastic. I am very thankful. I feel fantastic. I am going through right now a second cycle of chemotherapy through February of 2026,” said Anderson.
“I feel like you have a very good attitude despite everything you have gone through and that can be difficult sometimes,” said St. Germain.
“Well I feel like the attitude is something that to have that positive attitude is probably what has carried me through this treatment also,” said Anderson.
A message she teaches to her students as well.
Anderson says she has never experienced headaches or migraines, which Dr. Voce notes is pretty normal. Dr. Voce says there are not any real red flag symptoms before a seizure happens with this kind of tumor. He says it’s important to listen to your body and if something feels off, talk with your doctor.
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