18-year-old dancer Braydee Audrain faced the biggest decision of her life: go under the knife, knowing the significant risks, or continue living with daily seizures and debilitating migraines.
Click play to hear Braydee’s story.
Ms Audrain was diagnosed with a low-grade glioma in 2025, a condition that has robbed her of the life she once knew, causing daily seizures, tremors, debilitating migraines and vision that she describes as resembling television static.
Dr Charlie Teo says he can remove the tumour—which Australian doctors have deemed too high-risk to operate on—potentially restoring a sense of normality for the teenager.
Wrestling with the decision was difficult, yet her “village” and faith provided the strength she needed.
“I feel like most people probably would’ve jumped at it because I know I say I want my life back and I do, but surgery like that there’s big risks involved… I went and pondered about it, I sat by myself about it, I went and spoke to my friends about it.
“I was like ‘I don’t know what to do, there’s a door that’s open, do I walk into it and do the unknown and potentially get my life back’. There was a lot of tossing and turning, I had to go through pros and cons,” she told Newsflash listeners.
Ms Audrain went to church the weekend she received the news to ask for help.
“We had my pastor and a few others of the prayer team pray for me, just to help me make a decision,” she said.
Ms Audrain said that her faith helps her navigate this journey into the unknown.
“He (God) tests me sometimes, but I think him and my church community help a lot… They help me always with the unknowable (sic).”
The family is looking to raise $150,000 to fund the operation, which has to be done in China due to practice restrictions placed upon Dr Teo. An online fundraiser has recently surpassed $20,000.
“I hope and I wish that even if you can’t donate that you guys can share and it’ll reach someone who is well off financially or can get me in touch with someone who can help us in any way,” she said.
“If you think a hurdle is in the way, you can’t go around it, take the leap of faith and go over it and check on your loved ones,” she finished.
