Ali takes her seizure medication at the end of the day. Medication has helped to curb Ali's seizures, but the mass in her brain is affecting her memory and performance at school.
Ali005A note wishing Ali good luck with her surgery.
Ali002Cheer and dance squad teammates of Ali's trip her naturally long, brunette hair into a bleach blond bob as part of Ali's "hair journey." Ali cut and colored her hair to more dramatic colors and shorter lengths before finally dying it black and shaving her head in preparation for her surgery.
Ali and her friends are pleased with their hair dye choice.
Ali006Ali and her longtime friend Talia Wilson read texts from their phones to each other.
Ali009Ali makes a final prayer at her home cathedral before leaving for the Mayo Clinic where she will undergo surgery to remove a mass in her brain the following morning.
Ali013
Ali014A close family friend of Ali's, Carol Cooper, comforts Ali after attending mass at the hospital cathedral the evening before her surgery.
Ali015Family members gather in the hall to wish Ali well before she is taken to surgery.
Ali017After a successful surgery, and a few weeks of recover, it is clear that Ali's memory has not been significantly affected.
Ali016After a six-hour operation, Ali is taken to intensive care for several days of recovery. Her aunt Bonnie check in on her a few hours after surgery.
Ali003Ali dries her new, red locks after dying her hair as part of her hair journey. Ali cut and colored her hair to more dramatic colors and shorter lengths before finally dying it black and shaving her head in preparation for her surgery.
Ali007Ali shaves one of her teacher's heads at a school assembly wishing her well before she leaves for surgery.
Ali008During the weeks before and after her surgery, Ali's classmates and friends raised around $10,000 to help pay for the teen's medical bills.
Ali010With her brain surgery only a few days away, Ali pauses at her front door before making the drive to the Mayo Clinic.
Ali011Ali packs the last of her things that she will bring to the hospital.
Ali012Ali looks to her dad Craig for reassurance during her pre-op check-up the day before her surgery.
Ali018Kayla Spriggs, left, watches as Lauren Jaeger greets Ali with a hug on Ali's first morning back at school since her brain surgery.
Ali019Brittany Zetah, left, Maria Gonzalez, center, and Mary Wade look on as Ali talks about her brain surgery and the scar that she is left with during her first morning back on campus since her operation.
Ali020Ali goofs off with her cheer squad before practicing their routine at the American Cancer Society Relay. Six months after her surgery, Ali is active on track and field team and her cheer and dance squads.