American Idol alum Avalon Young is pleading for help as she battles brain cancer. The 26-year-old singer revealed in a message on GoFundMe that she already underwent a 16-hour surgery in February to remove the majority of a “peach-sized tumor” from her front left temporal lobe, but was told by doctors that a second surgery is necessary to get the rest of it. The surgery will be “followed by weeks of radiation and chemotherapy,” and she needs help paying for the pricey procedures.
“Avalon has minimal insurance, is an independent artist, and self-supporting singer/ songwriter,” the GoFundMe, set up by Avalon and her family, reads. “We hope to help her with some of the financial burden as a result of these medical expenses. No amount is too little.” As of April 27, Avalon has raised $58,391 of her $100,000 goal before the May 27 surgery.
They revealed on the page that, despite her significant health struggles, the American Idol season 15 finalist has been hard at work in the studio and will release a new single, “She Don’t,” on April 30. She first knew something was wrong in November 2020 when she began having “simple partial seizures,” she told fans in a February Instagram post. After a struggle to get a diagnosis, doctors revealed that she had a “mass legion tumor” on the left frontal lobe of her brain.
Avalon updated her Instagram followers on April 3 with a photo of herself recovering from her surgery, revealing that she had been diagnosed with brain cancer. “Got some of the worst news ever after thinking i was fully recovering after this tumor surgery,” she wrote. “I’ve got cancer in my brain and i gotta boss up and take care of it. A second surgery, and then chemotherapy and radiation.”
“I felt like it was only fair to let you guys know because you’ve supported me up until this point,” Avalon continued. “Unreal to receive this news at the age of 26. Everything is gonna be okay, the journey is gonna be wild, but i’m ready for it. Love you guys a ton. F*ck cancer.” In her post-surgery photo, Avalon is smiling and throwing up a middle finger.