Southeastern senior overcomes two brain surgeries to make it to graduation
CHILLICOTHE — Throughout school, many students face issues that they must overcome to make it to high school graduation. Southeastern senior Trenton Pickell knows this all too well as he has had to have two brain surgeries while in school.
His issues started in seventh grade when he was seeing double. Doctors said his eye was inverted and said it could possibly be a tumor causing this. However, it was actually Chiari malformation which is where parts of the brain push against the skull resulting in pressure on the brain and spinal cord due to the build-up of spinal fluid.
This required him to get an 8-and-a-half-hour-long surgery in Columbus in 2019 where afterward he was unable to do anything by himself. He had to spend more time in the intensive care unit than was expected. Pickell said he hated being so helpless and was scared when at one point he completely forgot who his family was.
"A lot of scary things happened," said Pickell of his first surgery.
That year he was able to go back to school but Pickell said he dealt with a lot of self-confidence issues that made him anxious to be around others as he did not want them to see his scares or treat him differently.
He was also able to later get surgery to fix his inverted eye which included cutting and realigning his eye and nerves.
In 2020 when the issues with spinal fluid buildup came back Pickell said he was extremely "overwhelmed" thinking about going back into surgery and becoming helpless again, he said he feared he would be a "burden" on his family. Still, in the beginning of 2021 he underwent a six-hour brain surgery to relieve the problem.
"It was really hard for me because I am the type of person who likes to do everything myself," said Pickell.
This time, however, he had a much different experience as he was able to walk out of the hospital himself after two days. He still had to attend physical therapy but overall felt much better about the whole experience.
Pickell said it was "amazing" to be able to walk himself out of the hospital. He credits God and his faith for his strength during the surgeries and his ability to get better. His walk with Christ has helped him continue to stay strong and work to overcome the insecurities he previously dealt with.
"He has helped me through it all," said Pickell of God.
Despite his surgeries, Pickell is an active member of the National Honors Society, MADE and band. He also takes part in the Youth Council at the Richmond Dale Church of God. He said he enjoys helping others any way he can and that if his experience helps him relate to just one person in need it was worth it.
"It helps me to help others," said Pickell.
This giving spirit is part of the reason Pickell hopes to become a child psychologist as he aims to help kids in the same position he was once in. After graduation, he plans on attending Ohio University Chillicothe in the premed route with a minor in psychology.
Southeastern High School seniors will be graduating on May 18.
Shelby Reeves is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. You can email her at SReeves@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @Shelby_Reeves_
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Southeastern senior hopes to use experience to help others
