Meet the
Patient of the Month
April 2010
Will
3 years old
In the summer of 2007, when Will was 7 months old, he was found to suffer from an optic pathway glioma, a type of brain tumor.
When he was 7 months old, Will fell out of his car seat. His parents took him to their local emergency room and as a precaution, doctors performed a CT scan. The scan was clear of any injury from the fall, but Will's parents were shocked to learn what it had revealed—a mass growing on their baby's brain.
Will's mom remembered hearing the news. "We thought, 'our baby has a brain tumor. Number one, we can't do anything about it, and number two, he might die.'"
Will was diagnosed with an optic pathway glioma, which is a type of tumor that grows on the pathway connecting the eyes to the brain. Will underwent surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible, but because there was a large artery running through the tumor, it was too dangerous to remove it entirely. Doctors referred Will to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for ongoing care.
Will began a protocol of chemotherapy and routine scans to monitor the tumor. He responded well to treatment, but in the fall of 2009, an MRI revealed that the tumor was growing back. "We felt like we'd been kicked in the stomach," his mom said.
Just before his third birthday, Will underwent another surgery to resect the tumor, but once again, some of it could not be removed. Because the tumor is still present, his mom said, "This will be a lifetime medical issue for Will, but we'll always have St. Jude."
Will's parents know he's in the best place for his treatment. They also take comfort in the environment at St. Jude. Of the first few days the family spent at St. Jude, Will's mom remembered, "We quickly realized that St. Jude was going to be the place to help our baby. That was the most important thing. And I realized he was going to enjoy his time at St. Jude. With all the things they have geared toward kids—the things to do, the wagons, the places to play. They want to help these kids live lives that are as happy and as normal as possible."
Will is a bright and energetic boy who loves to play with his toy guitar.
April 2010
To help give hope to children like Will who are fighting life-threatening illnesses, please become a Partner In Hope.