Alana McMullan’s symptoms first began to manifest over the Christmas holidays. 

What started as vomiting eventually morphed into symptoms that became strong enough for Stephen and Eileen McMullan to schedule an appointment for their daughter to visit an ear, nose and throat physician in late February.

It wasn’t until March 6, a day after Alana McMullan played in a Newton County High School tennis match, that the McMullan family would learn the severity of her ailments.

“We went through the progression of different offices, and ultimately, we were connected to an ENT,” Eileen McMullan said. “They did a hearing test, and they said (there was) profound hearing loss in the left ear. But thankfully, the ENT ordered an MRI of the brain and the inner ear. And it showed a two-inch tumor.”

The last month has been a whirlwind for the McMullan family.

A day after learning of Alana’s brain tumor, the family visited a neurosurgeon in Jackson for a consultation. That day, they also received a phone call from an acquaintance, which Eileen McMullan described as an act of divine intervention.

“We miraculously, really, got a call from someone who was just an acquaintance at the time — we’re thinking of him as a new best friend now — to tell us about his experience with his 3-month-old son four or five years ago, and ended up with Dr. Fredrick Boop at Le Bonheur (Children’s Hospital),” Eileen McMullan said. 

Following the phone call, the McMullans had four hours to return to Meridian, pick up a copy of Alana’s MRI and head to Memphis’ Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital for a March 8 appointment with neurosurgeon Dr. Fredrick Boop. 

Alana, along with her family, checked into Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital on March 12. And on March 14, Alana underwent a nine-hour surgery, where Boop safely removed 90 percent of the tumor. 

The tumor is malignant, as it contains medulloblastoma. Of the four subgroups of medulloblastoma, Alana’s is of the wingless or (WNT) subgroup, which produces the most positive prognosis.

“Of the four kinds of medulloblastoma, it’s the best she could have had, because it has the highest cure rate,” Eileen McMullan said. “It’s just too miraculous to not be a God thing because we have the foremost authority (Dr. Amar Gajjar) on medulloblastoma tumors in the world as her neuro-oncologist.”

Alana, a member of Newton County’s basketball, tennis and dance teams, is now at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital under the guidance of Dr. Amar Gajjar. 

 Although more than 200 miles separate the McMullans and their house in Decatur, the support from family and friends has made Memphis feel like home. Not only has piles of mail for Alana made their way to Tennessee from Mississippi, but on Tuesday, Alana’s 17th birthday, three carfuls of friends traveled to St. Jude to be by her side.

“I knew some were coming, but I had no idea it would be as many as three carloads,” Eileen McMullan said.

The staff at St. Jude, Eileen McMullan said, have been exceptionally accommodating. 

 “The doctors, her whole medical team came in singing… They threw confetti on her, and they actually arranged her schedule so she would have some time to have visitors yesterday afternoon,” she said. “We had family come yesterday afternoon and everything, and so, they were just especially kind. They’re treating Alana, they’re not just treating Alana’s case.” 

Ethan McMullan is the eldest of the family’s four children, as two years and one month separate him and Alana in age. Watching his younger sister face the most difficult obstacle in her 17 years has left a lasting impression.

“It’s really inspired me a lot because I took finding out that she had a brain tumor super hard,” he said. “It devastated me when I found out that my little sister had a brain tumor. But then when I saw her later that day, she was just in happy spirits like nothing was ever wrong. She said, ‘It’s just going to be another thing.’ That just inspired me that she’s so positive about everything.”

That his sister has stood tall when facing adversity hasn’t surprised Ethan McMullan in the least. Despite the fact he towers at 6-foot-4 and weighs 230 pounds, he said his sister’s courage and fearlessness became apparent at a young age and showed during their friendly competitions. 

“She wouldn’t back down from anything, no matter what it was,” he said. 

Eileen McMullan said the outpouring of love and support from those in the community has been overwhelming. As her daughter embarks on her road to recovery, the love shown by many has fueled her steps. 

“Thank you to everyone for your immense support, and we ask for your continued prayers,” Eileen McMullan said. “We always say, ‘God’s got this,’ at the end of our prayers and at the end of our posts, and that’s what she’s living by.”