Adopted Wayne 6-Year-Old Battling Aggressive Brain Cancer

WAYNE, NJ — Gianna Matthews is a spunky, fun-loving 6-year-old. She is a blessing to her adoptive parents, Matthew and Felicia.

For weeks, Matthews suffered from severe headaches and nausea. Doctors dismissed the symptoms several times, but her parents knew something was not right.

Eventually, Matthews was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor called Anaplastic Medulloblastoma, an aggressive form of cancer.

She has undergone three surgeries in the two weeks since she was diagnosed, one of which caused her to lose some motor skills. She cannot speak or eat.

"This has been a life-changing two weeks," said Mike Matthews. "To now have three major surgeries, be in three hospitals, and still not be awake after everything, it has been unreal."

Matthews' parents fostered her for more than three years before adopting her in 2015.

Matthews will undergo therapy to regain some of her motor skills at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. She also faces months of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Felicia Matthews works for Wayne Township. Her colleagues started a GoFundMe campaign to help raise $30,000 to help the family pay for medical bills. More than $7,200 has been donated since the campaign went live four days ago.

"They fought hard for Gianna then and are fighting even harder for her now," said Heather McNamara, Felicia Matthews' supervisor who started the GoFundMe campaign. "This time the fight is very different and very heartbreaking. The little girl they love so much is in a battle for her life."

Email daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Photo: Gianna Matthews, 6 (Courtesy of GoFundMe, a promotional partner of Patch)