Health
Born With A Giant Tumor, This Girl’s Journey Will Leave You Speechless
The day Joe and Jennifer McGillis welcomed their daughter Sloan into the world in 2015 should have been pure joy. It was the kind of happiness that makes parents feel their hearts might burst. But within moments of her birth, their excitement gave way to fear and uncertainty. Sloan had a large growth on her face—a tumor that no ultrasound had predicted.
For Joe and Jennifer, the shock was immediate.
“They handed her to me,” Jennifer recalled in an interview. “I went into shock at that point.”
Joe remembers the panic clearly. “I had about a minute of terror,” he said. What was supposed to be a joyful first embrace became a harrowing moment of fear.
Thankfully, Dr. Hardy, the attending physician, offered reassurance and a plan. “He walked into Sloan’s hospital room when she was just born, looked at her & said, ‘That is a hemangioma & she will be just fine. Your daughter is going to be okay,’” Jennifer wrote on Facebook. For the first time in 48 hours, the parents could breathe again.
Understanding Sloan’s Condition: What Is a Hemangioma?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, a hemangioma is a type of growth composed of rapidly dividing cells in blood vessel walls. These growths appear as red or purple lumps on the skin and, while classified as tumors, they are non-cancerous and don’t spread.
Even though hemangiomas aren’t life-threatening, they can cause complications. They may interfere with vision, breathing, or eating, and can become painful or infected if sores develop.
For Sloan, the hemangioma covered most of her left cheek. Her lips were partially affected, preventing her from fully closing her mouth. She had to wear a bib constantly to catch drool, and her parents worried about how the tumor might impact her life socially and physically as she grew.
“She just doesn’t seem to know it’s there; she’s grown up with it,” Jennifer explained. “We’ve done nothing to treat it as a visibility.”
The First Surgery: Facing Fear as Parents
After months of monitoring and consultations with specialists across the country, the McGillis family decided that surgery was necessary. At eight months old, Sloan underwent her first procedure at the Vascular Birthmark Institute of New York under Dr. Milton Waner, one of the world’s leading experts on vascular anomalies.
Jennifer described the emotional weight of the day:
“I prayed that was not the last time I held her,” she wrote. “Surgery itself is scary enough, but to have to make the decision for your infant is gut-wrenching. Were we doing the right thing? Was it too much for her little body? Will the pain be too much for her & she can’t tell us?”
The surgery involved incisions under Sloan’s eye and along her nose and mouth to remove 90% of the tumor. One week later, laser treatment helped her skin return to a more natural color.
While the procedure was a success, the family faced another challenge: their Montana Medicaid insurance wasn’t accepted at Lenox Hill Hospital, where Sloan’s surgery took place. The cost could have been overwhelming.
Community Support and Fundraising
Determined to help their daughter, Joe and Jennifer turned to the internet. A local bank in Missoula established a medical fund in Sloan’s name, and an online fundraising campaign quickly raised more than $30,000.
Then, the Hannah Storm Foundation stepped in, providing enough funds to cover all of Sloan’s surgeries and hospital stays. Combined with community support, the family ultimately raised more than $100,000, removing the financial burden from an already stressful situation.
“Everything we were worried about just fell away,” Jennifer told the Missoulian. “We didn’t have to worry about how to pay for all of this.”
Joe added, “They aren’t donating to us, they are donating to her, and it was tough to wrap our heads around that for a while. Sloan’s changed us, she’s made us stronger and better people.”
A Year of Surgeries and Recovery
Over the following year, Sloan underwent nine additional procedures, including treatments to reduce scarring and restore normal facial function. Through every challenge, her courage and resilience became a source of inspiration for everyone around her.
The McGillis family shared Sloan’s journey publicly through her Facebook page, Sloan’s Story, allowing supporters to follow along and witness her progress. Sloan even received special gifts, like a pony from the Jadyn Fred Foundation, bringing moments of joy to balance the difficult times.
Today, Sloan Is Thriving
Now eleven years old, Sloan is living a happy, active childhood. She plays golf and baseball, has a dog, and maintains friendships like any other child her age. Her mother frequently praises her on social media:
“I didn’t know that my little girl was half as brave as she has proven herself to be. She loves so hard & she is so smart, funny, & sensitive, but also stubborn & determined too,” Jennifer wrote. “There was a reason this was given to Sloan & it’s because she’s the one tough enough to go through it all.”
Dr. Hardy, who cared for Sloan during her earliest months, has been a lasting presence in the family’s life. Jennifer describes him as “patient, kind and generous,” someone who helped provide the medical and emotional support that made Sloan’s recovery possible.
Lessons from Sloan’s Journey
Sloan’s story is more than a medical journey—it’s a testament to courage, community, and the power of love. Her family’s resilience, combined with expert care and the support of friends, strangers, and charitable organizations, shows what’s possible when people come together to help a child in need.
Today, Sloan is an example of strength and positivity, living her life fully and inspiring those who follow her story online. Her journey serves as a reminder that challenges, no matter how daunting, can be overcome with determination and support.
If this story touched you, let us know what you think in the comments on the Facebook video. And if you found Sloan’s journey inspiring, share it with your friends and family so more people can celebrate her bravery.
Source Used:
Inside Edition — Original Coverage of Sloan’s Story
Little Things — Summary of the Tumor and Surgeries
AOL/U.K. News — Additional Coverage of the Tumor Removal
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