Layne started getting really horrible headaches in May of 2023 but they were just headaches still, maybe some tummy aches. His pediatrician was convinced he just had chronic migraines after multiple office visits. Fast forward to October 2023 and I noticed Layne was having a really rough time walking straight and couldn’t lift himself into the car. We made an ER visit at our local hospital and after fighting for an MRI they ended up finding a mass on the back of his head. October 17, 2023 was his official diagnosis date. Medulloblastoma, group 4 tumor that had spread down into his spine. A few days after the mass discovery he was whisked away to neurosurgery to remove 95% of the tumor and placed a drain tube to remove the fluids off his brain. A grueling month and a half of recovery in the PICU was definitely something I have never in my wild nightmares imagined my 6 year old son would be. He was released in early November and immediately started radiation treatments. Unfortunately the mask was too much for the little guy and he ended up being sedated daily for 2 months. He made it through and finally got to ring the bell on January 9, 2024. Currently we are now in our Chemotherapy Treatment phase at the University of Michigan CS Mott’s children’s hospital. He has had 2 of his 9 cycles currently and we have been admitted back to the floor a couple days after being discharged from inpatient both cycles. He’s been neutropenic with very high fevers so they are watching him very closely now. Throughout everything he’s the strongest and bravest little dude I know. His sissy has been such a wonderful super sibling and has been cheering her brother on every step of the way. It took a long time to finally stop crying myself to sleep at night because now when I look at my son I only see the strength in him now. I have no doubt in my mind he is something extraordinary and I know he will be a voice of hope the older he gets. It’s only been a couple months but it’s already felt like a lifetime ago but things are starting to fall into place. 

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