Luke, 16 Years Old, Non-Germinoma Brain Tumor
Luke, 16 Years Old, Non-Germinoma Brain Tumor
With your help, we are changing the world for kids fighting cancer. For Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month and our 15th Anniversary, follow along this month as we share stories of our past, present, and future. We hope you will feel inspired to change the world too. Your donation benefits the ISF Rare & Solid Tumor Program at Levine Children’s, a global program for kids battling rare cancers. Fundraise for us or donate today.
“March 8, 2022, Luke was diagnosed with a Non-Germinoma brain tumor. In February he presented with headaches and vomiting. He was taken to the pediatrician where they noticed he was not capable of looking upwards with his eyes (due to the tumor pressing on his optic nerve) Two pediatrician visits later he was referred to an imaging center where he was immediately sent to the ER. Upon his arrival they immediately did an MRI where they found a mass the size of a golf ball in the pineal region of his brain.
Treatment plan was 6 rounds of chemotherapy and 4-6 weeks of proton radiation therapy. After 2 rounds of chemo, the tumor shrunk 60%. After 4 rounds there was only 5% left of the tumor. Luke tolerated chemo very well. He had very few moments of Nausea and vomiting. He had a tumor resection on August 30 where they found there was no tumor left and just removed some scar tissue. After surgery he got asymptomatic meningitis, a rare complication of surgery. He recovered from the complication after a week of antibiotics and steroids. We are headed to Jacksonville, Florida for 4 weeks (unless the trial states he needs 6 weeks) of proton radiation.
Luke is a very laid back, sweet, polite 16-year-old teenage boy. He has had a wonderful attitude through this whole process. I believe he will do great things with his story one day. We both are anxious to give back one day. All the wonderful foundations who have supplied everything from gas and food reimbursements to games, an iPad, snack rooms on the 11th floor, and help with monthly bills have blessed us beyond words. These foundations give a lot of thought into even the smallest things that families may need during their stay. We both look forward to helping families one day during the most difficult time in their lives. I’ve come to realize, even the small things like snacks and toiletries make a HUGE difference.” -Lisa, Luke’s Mom
We were thrilled to have 16 year old Luke and his family with us and the Catawba Riverkeeper at our River Rest Fest Event. We hope you feel inspired to help us change the world for kids like Luke by joining our fundraising challenge.
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