News 12 Long Island – From Brain Tumor Diagnosis to Renewed Life: A Patient’s Proton Therapy Story

Leisa Taylor’s life changed in an instant. A routine eye appointment two weeks before her wedding revealed a brain tumor—a diagnosis that led to emergency surgery, unexpected complications, and months of recovery.

After her initial craniotomy at a nearby hospital, Leisa faced a challenging reality: her benign tumor could not be completely removed, and the risk of regrowth meant potentially facing repeated surgeries every few years.

When her tumor began growing again years later, Leisa was referred to the New York Proton Center. Here, she discovered an alternative: proton therapy, a highly targeted form of radiation that could treat her tumor with millimeter precision while sparing healthy brain tissue.

“Now my tumor is inactive,” Leisa explains in an interview with News 12 Long Island, “and I get to live life pretty normally.”

The Power of Precision in Brain Tumor Care

Proton therapy’s unique advantages—particularly its ability to deliver high doses to the tumor while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissue—make it an important option for brain tumor patients. For Leisa, this meant better long-term quality of life and the ability to avoid repeated surgical interventions.

Today, Leisa monitors her condition with regular MRI scans and works closely with her multidisciplinary care team. But her healing extended beyond medical treatment. As a former dancer, she discovered renewed strength through Pilates and founded LTMovement, teaching Pilates Reformer and mat classes across the Hamptons.

“Movement became a way to reconnect with myself and feel empowered again,” she shares. “It was also about helping others find their own resilience.”

Giving Back

Grateful for the care she received, Leisa is now paying it forward. She’s hosting a charity Pilates event on July 24 at Canoe Place Inn in Hampton Bays, with proceeds supporting the NYPC Foundation—helping ensure more patients can access the advanced treatment that made a difference in her life.

For patients considering treatment options for brain tumors, Leisa’s message is clear: precision matters. And recovery is about more than medicine—it’s about reconnecting with yourself and your purpose.

Link to News 12 story: longisland.news12.com/2026/05/15/southampton-woman-turns-brain-tumor-diagnosis-into-mission-to-help-others/77YtIGLTUrDNbNBvZ5AjFr