When she was just three years old, Laura Gorski began having tonic-clonic seizures, also known as grand mal seizures. At first, there were no clear answers, and by the time she turned five, the seizures had become more frequent and intense. Doctors in St. Louis, Missouri, performed a craniotomy and discovered a pilocytic astrocytoma, a non-cancerous brain tumor, and her recovery allowed her to return to a normal childhood. Some of her earliest memories are of hospital stays, yet she grew up surrounded by the joy and normalcy her parents worked hard to preserve.
More than a decade later, shortly after earning her driver’s license, Laura’s seizures returned. This time they occurred at night while she slept, and her sister, who shared a room with her, was the first to notice. An MRI showed only scar tissue from her first surgery, and there were no clear explanations. Losing her license was difficult, but Laura pressed forward. She went to college, met her future husband, and eventually moved to North Carolina.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in communications, Laura began her professional career, but quickly realized something was missing. “I felt like I wasn’t making an impact,” she recalled. “My heart wasn’t in it. I wanted to make a difference.” She decided to pursue nursing, enrolling in prerequisite courses to become a pediatric nurse.
During an anatomy and physiology exam, Laura suddenly experienced another tonic-clonic seizure. When she regained consciousness, she was surrounded by classmates and instructors. An MRI revealed a new tumor, this time in the same area as her previous surgery.
Her primary care physician contacted Duke, and Duke neurosurgeon Allan Friedman, MD, scheduled her for an appointment within days. Though her seizures were increasing, Dr. Friedman encouraged Laura to finish her nursing coursework before undergoing surgery. “I wasn’t allowed to drive, so I took a taxi to and from class every day,” she said.
On January 5, 2006, Dr. Friedman performed a second craniotomy to remove the recurrent tumor. Once again, pathology confirmed a pilocytic astrocytoma. Laura experienced right sided weakness after surgery and completed occupational therapy, but no further treatment was required. The care she received at Duke would ultimately inspire the next chapter of her life.
“I was so well cared for here,” she said. “That experience made me want to be part of the Duke team.”
Shortly after graduating from nursing school and welcoming her first child, Laura joined Duke University Hospital as a pediatric nurse in 2009. She cared for children recovering from neurosurgery and other complex conditions before transitioning to Duke Children’s, where she worked in pediatric oncology and became one of the primary nurses for pediatric neuro oncology patients.
“It is so meaningful to get to know the patients and families,” Laura said. “Nobody wants to see a child sick, but if a child does have a brain tumor, it feels really special to be able to help them through it. It gives me purpose. I cannot say I have been in their shoes because I did not need chemotherapy or radiation, but I know what it feels like to have seizures, to lose control, and to be scared. Being able to give back means everything to me.”
In 2019, Laura joined the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center as a clinical research nurse. By 2022, she began coordinating pediatric and young adult clinical trials, including the landmark FIREFLY 1 trial for children with pilocytic astrocytoma.
“I am the primary research coordinator for FIREFLY 1,” she explained. “Duke achieved the second highest enrollment in the country, and the trial was so successful that the drug tovorafenib received FDA approval. The FDA even audited Duke as part of that process. It was an incredible moment and something every research nurse dreams about.”
Today, Laura is the proud mother of two daughters in high school and will celebrate twenty-five years tumor free in January.
“I have been able to have a family, live my life, and watch my children grow up,” she said. “My work reminds me every day how precious life is. I am grateful to be part of this team and proud to see our pediatric program continue to grow. Because of the type of tumor I had, I have been able to build a career that allows me to give back, and I would not change a thing.”
