’16 and Pregnant’ Star Aubrey Akeril Says It’s Not Drugs, It’s a Tumor

After she appeared emaciated and glassy-eyed on the 16 and Pregnant season 2.5 reunion special, many people – myself included – suspected that Aubrey Akeril (now getting a divorce from husband Brandon Akeril and going back to her maiden name, Wolters) had a drug problem. The fact that she was shown partying and that she’d previously been arrested for illegally possessing painkillers only led credence to that theory. However, Aubrey’s mom tells E! that there’s another factor at play. Shelly Wolters says that Aubrey has a fist-sized tumor in her throat that makes it difficult for her to eat. Shelly adds that Aubrey doesn’t have health insurance, so she can’t pay for the surgery to have it removed. Doctors reportedly examined the tumor and said that it wasn’t cancerous.

If this tumor thing is actually true, then I feel bad for making fun of Aubrey. But a couple of things just don’t fit here:

• If Aubrey isn’t able to eat at all, then is she dying? In a coma? Being fed intravenously? How long can a tumor like that last before it kills you? Is she slowly choking to death?
• If her condition is so severe, wouldn’t she qualify for medicare or some other form of subsidized health care? And if she was able to visit the doctor, how did she pay for it?
• Is the tumor causing any problems with drinking, or just eating? Because in the reunion episode she didn’t seem to have a problem drinking beer.
• Would the tumor make it difficult for her to speak properly? She sounded a little off during the reunion special, but she was able to form words and sentences and didn’t seem to have any trouble breathing.

Maybe Shelly could also answer those questions, since she seems so eager to speak to news outlets about her daughter’s health. Thanks in advance!