Liz Cabrera's Story
I had never received attention like that…from the beginning…the empathy, the service, the love...
A Chance to Dance Again
In April 2022, Liz Cabrera noticed a weakness in her left knee. She had fractured her left foot in 2018, resulting in the insertion of screws and a metal plate. She thought perhaps the knee weakness was correlative to her foot injury. But over the next few months, her knee got worse, and she began to lose feeling in her foot.
By November, Liz had started to lose her balance and felt a lump underneath the beginning of her ribcage. An x-ray of her knee and ankle and an eventual endoscopy showed that everything was fine. But Liz knew that something was wrong. Unfortunately, she had experienced serious health threats before.
Liz Cabrera is a leukemia cancer survivor. Diagnosed at the age of six, she endured a year and a half of chemotherapy to eradicate the disease. In the 3rd grade, the cancer returned and cancer cells were found in the optic nerve of her left eye, resulting in a permanent loss of vision. Three years of intense chemotherapy and radiation followed. Liz lost her hair, developed mouth sores, and the radiation treatments altered the pigmentation of her skin at the time.
After her inconclusive x-ray and test results, Liz felt frustrated. Fortunately, she had some joyful things to focus on. In October 2022, Liz’s boyfriend had formally proposed to her in New Jersey, surrounded by family and friends. The couple planned to have their wedding in the Dominican Republic and start their lives there as pastors.
But by January 2023, Liz was losing the majority of her balance. While touring wedding venues in the Dominican Republic, her fiancé and mother had to help hold her up and she lost feeling on one side of her body. She returned to the States for more x-rays and tests, but no answers. Her symptoms got worse.
As a cancer survivor, Liz regularly checked in with an oncologist. At their insistence she was referred to a Neurologist, and ended up being sent to the Emergency Room at NewYork-Presbyterian the same night. After a day in the ER running tests, Liz met Dr. Justin A. Neira, MD, from NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. It was “the best decision I made.”
Dr. Neira was a dream.
Dr. Neira ordered an immediate MRI, which revealed a tumor pressing on the upper part of Liz’s spine. She would need immediate surgery—a delicate microscopic procedure involving a thoracic laminectomy to remove the rare intradural spinal tumor. Without the operation, Liz could become paralyzed.
From the get-go, Liz recognized she was in good hands with Dr. Neira. She felt at peace before the surgery, but had one concern: Would she be able to dance at her wedding? Dr. Neira assured her, “You’re gonna come out dancing.”
The next day, Dr. Neira performed her surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/ Columbia University Irving Medical Center. After a 6-hour procedure, the tumor was successfully removed. Results of the pathology found that the tumor was benign—about 2cm (the size of a blueberry) and double the size of the spinal canal (8mm).
Within hours after the surgery, Liz experienced improved sensitivity and mobility in her legs. She was discharged on January 22nd. Once home, the road to recovery was challenging. Liz had to regain her strength while planning her wedding. But throughout her recovery, Dr. Neira and his team never stopped checking in on her.
Recovery from the spinal cord operation took about four months. Liz regained feeling in her left side and could walk without assistance. In August 2023, Liz walked down the aisle on her own at her wedding. She wore a strapless dress to show off the incisions—a symbol of her resilience and strength. She danced at her reception.
Liz and her husband are currently based in the Dominican Republic, working as pastors and assisting the community through mentoring and food programs. Liz is studying to become a mental health rehabilitation counselor—to help others recover from diagnoses similar to her own.
While Liz still needs to watch out for inflammation, she doesn’t need to see Dr. Neira anymore. But she feels she can always reach out to him.
“Dr. Neira’s amazing,” she said. “I had never received attention like that…from the beginning…the empathy, the service, the love too…the passion for what he does.”