HONOLULU (KHON2) – Nothing can get between Noah Pila, 18, and paddling.
Not even brain cancer.
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The Big Island teen and his Kamehameha teammates finished 7th overall at the HHSAA Canoe Paddling Championships held at Kihei Lagoon in Honolulu on February 4.
An impressive ending, considering that just eight weeks ago, Noah had major brain surgery.
“I had a seizure on the beach after a paddling race. I didn’t know what it was. Good thing I was with my mum. She already knew,” he explained.
“She’s never had a seizure before,” said her mother, Anna Golden Crow. “That was a first. She’s super healthy, she’s never had any medical problems. It was really surprising.”
Noah was taken to Hilo Medical Center. An MRI revealed a cancerous tumor in his brain.
“I was, like, ‘Oh snap.’ That wasn’t what I was looking forward to hearing. But, I was, like, ‘Okay. Let’s get this over with,'” Noah said.
The shock hadn’t even occurred before Noah and his mother were taken to The Queen’s Medical Center on Oahu.
The 18-year-old quickly underwent an intense 7-hour surgery to remove the cancerous tumour.
“I was like, ‘Ho, that’s pretty crazy. But, I mean, beheadings are kinda crazy. I don’t remember anything!’ They said.
โThey cut him open from ear to ear and they removed the tumor and the surrounding tissue. So they took out a huge chunk of his brain. That was intense,โ Crow described.
It took some time for Noah to recover from the surgery.
But, on the third day, Noah said, “I was showing signs of myself.”
โIn the first few days, he couldn’t really use the right side of his body, which was a concern in itself. But, then on the third day, he started showing up. He started moving the right side of his body, and he’s progressing very well,” Crowe said.
Noah went through rehab to learn to write and speak again, and his quick recovery “surprised” his doctors, Crow said. “They’re like, ‘We’ve never seen anyone recover so fast before.'”
But, Noah thinks he knows why.
He credits his age (“I’m at my peak to be able to fight this stuff.”), support from his family and friends and, of course, “getting back to paddling, and in the water.”
Noah’s doctors have cleared Kamehameha Sr. to compete in the canoe paddling championships, but he still has a long way to go.
The 18-year-old will still undergo chemotherapy and radiation and plans to travel to San Francisco for continued evaluation.
“I look at it as a speed bump in life. I want to be someone that someone can inspire. It’s one of the paths God put me on. I just got to get over that little speed bump.” Have to get
Cancer is no match for his mind.
“Mindset is everything. You have to stay strong in the brain. Regardless, if your mind is fired, you have to do it and stay positive.
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“She’s an amazingโI can’t call her a kid. She’s an amazing adult,” said Shin Yung, head coach of the Kamehameha Paddling Team.
