Nine-year-old Shane is a happy, active, kid who loves playing video games and spending time with family and friends.
On Friday, December 17, 2021, Shane was in gymnastics class tumbling and doing bar work. His left hand was fisting, and he seemed unable to control it during the class. He saw his pediatrician the next day and was immediately sent to the hospital, where he was diagnosed that night with a brain tumor in his thalamus/brain stem at 6 years old. He was admitted for steroid therapy and underwent brain surgery on December 22, spending Christmas in the ICU under COVID protocols.
They were only able to remove 60% of the tumor before his left side stopped moving when they tested it. The surgery left him with severely diminished mobility on his left side (and the loss of half his vision) – this landed him in inpatient rehab for the next 4 weeks. There, he began to fight for control over his left hand and relearned how to walk.
A follow-up MRI showed that his “slow growing tumor” had grown back to near original size during his rehab stay. Shane then endured 3 years of 3 different treatments, bravely walking into the hospital each time—starting with two oral chemo attempts to avoid IV chemo. When those failed, he had a port surgically placed and began 17 months of infusions, managing side effects and even developing an allergy to chemo.
Over the course of treatment, imaging showed that the tumor had shrinkage and then stayed stable. On January 31, 2025, he was granted a pause in treatment to see how his tumor reacts. Shane was ELATED to get a break.
An MRI on April 25, 2025, revealed that Shane’s tumor is smaller! This is the best news the family could imagine. He will have his port removed in a few weeks, enabling him to swim this summer, something he is ecstatic about.
Kids like Shane deserve to live a full life outside the hospital. The support of the Growler community gives hope to infants, children, teens, and young adults fighting childhood cancer.
