In 2018, Jenna Hastings of Austin, Texas, had just started college when she began having severely debilitating migraines. For the next few years, Jenna was constantly sick and managed her migraines as best she could with medication.
Then in 2022, she began to lose her vision. A scan revealed that Jenna had a rare pituitary tumor — one that produces excess growth hormone, a condition known as acromegaly.
In October 2022, a surgeon in Texas removed as much of the tumor as possible — she was told it was too close to the carotid artery to be removed completely. Her migraines stopped and her vision returned to normal.
But in 2024, her headaches started getting worse again — and she began losing her vision completely. An MRI revealed her tumor had grown back, and she had a second surgery.
After just a few months, her vision began to go once more. A scan showed the tumor was even larger and had grown into an area deep in the brain called the cavernous sinus, where critical nerves for vision and eye movement are tightly packed around the main artery supplying the brain.
“Neurosurgeons in Texas called it a ‘dead man zone’ because, as the surgeon in Texas told me, there are only a few surgeons in the world who would ever go near that part of the brain,” explained Hastings.
Even worse, the tumor had started to bleed into itself, creating sudden pressure on the nerves. As a result, Hastings had lost much of her vision in that eye and couldn’t open or move it.
Her neurosurgeon in Texas recognized the urgency of the situation and called Amin B. Kassam, MD, a neurosurgeon with Endeavor Health, with Hastings still in his office. Dr. Kassam asked to see Hastings’ face on a FaceTime call — the tumor was causing severe sagging under her eye.
“Dr. Kassam told me I needed to be on a plane tomorrow,” she recalled. She flew to Chicago, where Dr. Kassam and his team operated on her the very next day.
“Two things made her case especially challenging,” explained Dr. Kassam. “The first was the timing, because Jenna’s eye had been affected for over 10 days before her surgery. Usually, when those nerves are compressed for that long, the damage is permanent, so seeing recovery after that much time is almost unheard of.”
The second challenge was the location of the tumor. “The area where the tumor was pressing is one of the most difficult and dangerous regions to reach in the human body surgically because it sits among vital nerves and the carotid artery,” said Dr. Kassam.
Dr. Kassam and his team developed the very procedure they performed on Jenna.
“It’s called an expanded endonasal approach,” he explained. “We reach the tumor through the nose, without making any external incisions, and use high-definition cameras and specialized instruments to carefully open a pathway through the sinus cavities and gently move the carotid artery to create a safe corridor to the tumor.”
During Hastings’ surgery on April 10, 2025, Dr. Kassam was able to remove the tumor without compromising the surrounding delicate nerves.
“It’s a highly specialized and delicate operation that only a select number of surgeons in the world perform regularly, many of whom are individuals that we've trained over the years,” he said.
Amazingly, about a week after her surgery, Hastings began to open her eye again. Within weeks, her vision and eye movement had nearly returned to normal.
Thanks to Dr. Kassam and his team, Jenna should enjoy normal vision and eye function for the rest of her life. She’ll also work with Endeavor Health’s endocrinology team to prevent the tumor from ever returning.
Dr. Kassam describes Hastings’ recovery as nothing short of remarkable. “Jenna’s story is one of resilience, faith and teamwork — her outcome shows what’s possible when patients, families, and specialized care teams work together,” he said. “Recoveries like hers are truly inspiring and remind us why we do what we do, with God’s grace.”
As for Hastings, she wants everyone who hears her story to learn the power of self-advocacy.
“If I had dismissed my pain, I could have died,” she said. “I’m lucky to be alive, so if you feel like something is wrong, don’t ignore it.”
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