L.A. Ainger student battling brain cancer

Testing confirmed she had a tumor on the left side of her brain.

By the morning of March 3, surgery removed the tumor.

“Pathology confirmed our worst nightmares,” Murphy said. “Lexi has stage 4 aggressive brain cancer.”

Lexi, 13, is a seventh-grader at L.A. Ainger Middle School in Englewood, and a star in the Miss Englewood Stingrays softball league.

The surgery to remove the tumor cost more than $300,000. Lexi will then have to go through six weeks of radiation, then a four-week break before beginning chemotherapy.

“We don’t know what our insurance will cover or not, so any help from the community is appreciated,” Murphy said.

Her mother said, although Lexi is a brave, strong girl, this is too much for any teenager to process.

“She’s handling it the best she can, but I can tell that her mind won’t shut off from all of this. As her mom, I’m trying my best to be brave.”

Her ongoing medical bills will be extensive.

A GoFundMe account has been set up by family members at https://www.gofundme.com/f/lexis-brain-tumor-battle.

Lexi’s aunt, Jasmine Ridgeway, said the family is overwhelmed right now.

“Lexi is so beautiful, funny and smart and she has such a bright future,” Ridgeway said. “No family should have to go through this ... it’s unimaginable.”

Lexi’s grandmother, Kelly Green, said the family has great faith that Lexi’s future will be long and productive.

“She has been a fighter since birth,” Green said. “We hope to be able to look back on this experience, and find her strength inspiring.”

Lexi has two siblings, one older and one younger.

A Meal Train page has been setup to assist the family with dinners and donations of food and funds.

“I was so grateful when someone dropped off dinner one day last week,” Lexi’s mother said. “I get home at 6 p.m. and the kids are asking for dinner ... the last thing I can think about is food.”

Ridgeway and her husband, Kevin, are graphic designers and created the artwork for the GoFundMe page. It features flowers, a brain and Lexi’s signature.

“While Lexi’s peers are attending school and playing Lexi’s favorite sport, softball, she is embarking on a long road to recovery,” Kevin Ridgeway wrote on GoFundMe. “Now, more than ever, Lexi and her family need a team behind them to help them win this fight against brain cancer.”

On Wednesday, Briana Murphy posted an update on the GoFundMe page.

“I wanted to give enormous thanks to everyone near and far that has shared Lexi‘s story and donated for her care,” she wrote. “If you own a business and want to sponsor Lexi with the sale of our T-shirts, please contact us. The T-shirts will be going on sale soon. Every single dollar helps in a cancer battle.”