ZEELAND, Mich. — Becky Bedolla never imagined herself in the situation she is in.
“I have four kids,” said Becky. “Obviously my husband can take care of them if need be, but I’m trusting in God and have tons of people praying that, you know what, it’s going to be OK.”
During a time in which everything appears wonderful, the Zeeland mother and wife faces a difficult prognosis.
“They’ll actually have to take the jaw muscle down and then cut into the skull to get it,” said Bedolla.
At the beginning of November, doctors diagnosed Becky with a Grade II Meningioma brain tumor.
The prognosis came after she picked up her son, Tino, from school one afternoon. While on their way home, she blacked out and rear ended a semitruck on Chicago Drive near 72nd Avenue.
“We crashed right into the back and then I woke up,” said Tino. “There’s the airbags, everything is smoky, really bad - I’m telling mom to wake up.”
The 13-year-old says when he came to, he felt the car begin to veer into another lane, so he drove it to the side of the road and turned on the hazard lights, adding it’s something his grandfather taught him to do over the summer.
“He said if I ever was in an accident, I could pull onto the side of the road and turn on my hazard lights and either call somebody or, if I don’t have a phone, wait for somebody to come and help,” said Tino.
When they went to get checked out later that evening, that’s when Becky received her diagnosis.
She says doctors believe her tumor triggered a seizure while she was driving, although she notes she did not convulse like some people do. Instead she remembers feeling confused and blankly staring in the moments before the crash.
“Looking back at things and just seeing the hand of God… if I didn’t pick him up, I just truly don’t believe that I would be here today,” said Becky.
Doctors believe the tumor is benign, but will not know until she has surgery the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
According to the National Cancer Institute, it’s more common for women to experience a Meningioma tumor, but Grades II and III occur more often in men.
Symptoms include vision changes, headaches, and seizures.
Becky says she did not experience any changes in herself until the crash.
“The kids would sometimes be like, ‘Hey, mom, you’re kind of zoning out,’ but as a mom, you’re like, ‘Of course I’m zoning out. I have a thousand and one things to think about and do,’” said Becky.
As everyone heads into a season where they want to make things wonderful, Becky reminds them to do the same for themselves.
“[I want] for kids to just know that sometimes… you’re given that grace to do extraordinary stuff and for parents to be like 'it’s okay to take care of yourself sometimes,' even though we feel like we can’t,” said Becky.
