NEED TO KNOW

At 22, Tucker Nelson found out he had a brain tumor

The night before his surgery, his friends and family gathered in his hospital room to read The Giving Tree

His girlfriend posted a TikTok of the moment that went viral, amassing over 16.5 million views

Tucker Nelson had just one week to process his brain tumor diagnosis before heading into surgery.

Doctors discovered the tumor on Aug. 1, leaving the 22-year-old and his loved ones little time to fully comprehend what was going on before the surgery was scheduled for Aug. 8.

His girlfriend, Kiya McLaurin, was at his side through the whole process and talks to PEOPLE exclusively about the power of Nelson's community.

"We got admitted to the hospital for four or five days," McLaurin, 22, shares. "We were there for a long

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