Teenage Girl Sings Weezer While Undergoing Brain Surgery to Preserve Talent

Kira Iaconetti has been acting and singing since elementary school, and the 19-year-old was hoping to make a career out of musical theater. But a brain tumor had other ideas.

The teenager was diagnosed with a form of epilepsy that caused seizures when she listened to or performed music, which was caused by the tumor pressing on her auditory cortex. 

“It just [felt] like a light switch switches in my brain and suddenly I’m tone deaf. I can’t sing. I can’t process the words in time with the music,” Iaconetti told Inside Edition.

When surgeons planned the operation, they decided to wake Iaconetti up during the procedure and have her sing while they removed the tumor, so they could identify the parts of the brain to avoid in an effort to preserve her vocal talent. 

“Our focus is not only on taking care of the tumor, [it's] about making her life better and preserving the things she cares about,” said Jason Hauptman, a pediatric neurosurgeon.

The Seattle teen decided to sing Weezer's "Island in the Sun," which features the fitting line: "And it makes me feel so fine / I can’t control my brain."

The surgery was a success, and Iaconetti was playing guitar and singing in her hospital bed just 48 hours later.

Watch a video documenting her story below.

When Weezer heard about Iaconetti's surgery they were quick to wish her a speedy recovery and invite her to a show on their upcoming tour. Check out their thoughtful tweet below.

Photo: YouTube/Getty Images


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