Alexis Shapiro

8 Stories

'Starving Obese' Girl Battles Yet Another Foe

But Alex Shapiro, 13, finds new radiation treatment

(Newser) - A Texas girl who's been fighting uncontrollable hunger linked to brain-tumor surgery recently got bad news: Her tumor is back. A routine MRI spotted the regrowth in Alexis Shapiro, 13, in October, People reports. "She pulled her shirt up over her mouth, eyes watering, and said, 'I...

'Starving Obese' Girl Drops 33 Lbs.

Alexis Shapiro 'giggling, happy,' once again, still fights hunger

(Newser) - After 12-year-old Alexis Shapiro had surgery to fight obesity, her doctor expected her to lose 40 pounds in the ensuing months. Two months later, she's already lost 33, NBC News reports. "She’s the giggling, happy little girl I remember," says her mother. What's more, the...

Obesity Surgery Leaves Girl, 12, Dramatically Better

Within 24 hours, there was no sign of Alexis Shapiro's diabetes

(Newser) - Texas 12-year-old Alexis Shapiro had long-fought-for the obesity surgery she got on March 21 , and just a week later, the girl's situation has dramatically improved. She's already off the insulin she had to take in connection with her type 2 diabetes and, most significantly, her body is indicating...

Girl Recovering After Obesity Surgery Changes

Doctors revised plan when Alexis Shapiro's liver was bigger than expected

(Newser) - Surgeons operating on an obese Texas girl with an unusual malady had to change strategy during the procedure, but they say Alexis Shapiro can still look forward to a "new normal" and a healthier weight, reports NBC News . Surgeons intended to perform a gastric bypass on the 12-year-old, but...

Girl, 12, Getting Life-Saving Obesity Surgery Today

Alexis Shapiro could lose 40 pounds in first year

(Newser) - Alexis Shapiro , the Texas 12-year-old whose rare condition caused her to balloon to 203 pounds even while feeling constantly hungry, will finally get the life-saving surgery she's been waiting for today. Shapiro gained widespread attention last year when her family's insurance company refused to pay for gastric...

Reversal: Insurer Will Cover Girl's Obesity Surgery

Alexis Shapiro, 12, suffers from rare ailment

(Newser) - The wave of national attention for 12-year-old Alexis Shapiro seems to have changed the mind of her insurer: It will cover a potentially life-saving gastric bypass procedure for her after all, reports NBC News . Alexis is 4-foot-7 but weighs about 200 pounds because of a rare disorder—a complication from...

Obese Girl 6 Weeks Away From Life-Saving Surgery

Thanks to the kindness of strangers, and a Cincinnati hospital

(Newser) - It seems 2014 could be a very good year for Alexis Shapiro, the Texas 12-year-old whose plight got a wave of national attention over the weekend. Alexis suffers from hypothalamic obesity, a rare condition that causes her to constantly feel hungry; even with a strict diet, her 4-foot-7 frame carries...

Starving and Obese, Girl Fights for Needed Surgery

After insurer turns her down, Alexis Shapiro's family turns to the masses

(Newser) - Alexis Shapiro is 12 years old, 4-foot-7, and 198 pounds—a weight that is growing at a rate of at least two pounds a week. It's due to a very rare condition known as hypothalamic obesity, which itself was born from another medical issue. As NBC News reports, the...

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