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Family seeks Australian surgeon for teenager’s high-risk brain tumour operation
Braydee Audrain, a 19-year-old from Western Australia, has a brain tumour and suffers seizures, severe migraines and visual disturbances. Her family says they have been unable to find an Australian surgeon willing to operate, while neurosurgeon Charlie Teo has offered to perform the surgery in Perth without charging a fee if an independent neurosurgeon supports him.
Teo says the suspected low-grade glioma is deep in the left temporal lobe and could be fatal if untreated, though surgery itself carries significant risks. He is currently unable to operate in Australia without written backing and access to a theatre, so the family is raising A$150,000 to take Braydee to China if local treatment cannot be arranged.
In short
- Braydee Audrain needs high-risk surgery for a brain tumour.
- Charlie Teo has offered to operate for free in Perth.
- Her family is raising A$150,000 for treatment in China.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Braydee’s family can argue that her worsening symptoms and the possibility that the tumour could be fatal make it reasonable to pursue surgery, despite the risks. If an independent neurosurgeon supports the plan, Charlie Teo’s offer to operate without a fee could provide a way to seek treatment when the family says they have found no willing local surgeon.
The case against
Doctors who are unwilling to operate may judge that the tumour’s depth and the risks of surgery make intervention more dangerous than careful monitoring or other treatment. Requiring independent support and suitable hospital facilities can help ensure that a high-risk operation is clinically justified and safely delivered, rather than proceeding under pressure created by the family’s urgent search for options.
Explained simply
A glioma is a tumour that starts in the brain’s supporting tissue. Its position and size can affect speech, memory, movement or vision, and scans help doctors assess what it may be and how it could be treated.
Brain surgery can sometimes remove or reduce a tumour, but operating deep in the brain may damage nearby areas and cause lasting problems. Doctors weigh those risks against the possible effects of leaving the tumour untreated, and may seek another specialist’s view before recommending an operation.
Charlie Teo is an Australian neurosurgeon known for operating on complex brain tumours. His ability to operate in Australia is subject to professional and hospital requirements, including written support from another neurosurgeon and access to an operating theatre.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Teen’s desperate plea for lifesaving brain surgery no surgeon will perform in Australia except Charlie Teo – who’s offered to operate for free – but no one will let him: ‘Professional jealousy’”.