What our pediatric physician thought was the stomach flu, turned out not to be. On May 4, 2017, our little guy who was 7 years old at the time, had a CT scan done that showed a mass the size of 2 golf balls on the back of his cerebellum. Later the pathology report had diagnosed the mass as Medulloblastoma, a fancy name for brain tumor.
Stanford – Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital had accepted our sons case. He was transported the same night and admitted into PICU. After waiting for 24 hours, we finally met with the Primary Neurosurgeon Doctor and his assistant. They explained the next steps and that our little guy was scheduled for brain surgery the next morning. They reviewed his MRI images with us and shared all the side affects that normally takes place after surgery such as; crossed eyes, not able to balance, walk, or speak. They prepared us with warning that our son wouldn’t be recognizable after his surgery because he is face down for hours and the fluid would make his face puffy. The doctor had hopes that they would be able to remove maybe 80% of tumor and that surgery would take all day.
The next morning, we prayed with baby Johnny before he left for surgery. He was led to the Lord and received salvation. The peace that surpasses all understanding was flowing upon us. We knew God was in total control and all was well. After surgery, everything we had believed for and declared had come to pass. Baby Johnny had no side affects! No puffy or swelling in his face! God had removed that tumor! He was walking and eating by the 3rd day and discharged on the 8th day.
A month later, baby Johnny was vomiting and not feeling well. We took him into the ER at Stanford, where they had done an MRI. The MRI showed his Cerebrospinal fluid had backed up again. He was sent back into operating room within a few hours for an emergency surgery to have a VP Shunt implanted to permanently correct his cerebrospinal fluid circulation. The VP Shunt will be something he will have for the rest of his life. His Primary Neurosurgeon Doctor spoke to us after the surgery. He spoke of how children get admitted when parents see the signs of a fever or a cold. By then, a child would have an infection within their brain. TYJ, for catching it in time and baby Johnny had no infection or complications!
Since then, he has completed all 30 rounds of radiation treatments. He had no delays. He woke up at 5:30am for 6 weeks never complained once about going to radiation treatment. Baby Johnny was scheduled for 7 cycles of chemotherapy. However, God cut that schedule in half and baby Johnny was signed off after his 3rd cycles of chemotherapy treatment. His MRI’s shows no signs of growth or tumor cells where the primary tumor was removed. God is Good!
On November 25, 2017, Baby Johnny was admitted into PICU for a skin irritation. The next night, his blood pressure had dropped. Seeing countless nurses and doctors in his room to get his blood pressure back up was heart breaking! I knew God was in total control, but as a mama – my heart broke and I just wanted to take our kiddo home. Baby Johnny’s immune system had been compromised from his 3rd and last cycle of chemotherapy treatment. The skin irritation became infected and later diagnosed as candida, a fungal infection. The general surgical, anesthesia, and the PICU team began prepping him for the operating room for an emergency debridement procedure. Two weeks later the infection was back. This time it was in his blood. Our valley seemed so long but during this time, God showed me what it meant to be still, to be quite, to be at peace, and to stand on his promises! – when everything in the natural just looked so impossible. Seeing Baby Johnny going through respiratory failure, low blood pressure twice, and having a crash cart on the outside of his room each time, God whispered to me and said, be still and know that I am GOD! I will never leave you nor forsake you! All we could do is trust God completely and say, TYJ!!
After being in the hospital for 77 days, 25 plus procedures, having a wound vac, skin graph procedure, intubated twice, urinal catheter placed in his tummy, and having a colostomy bag placed and reversed. Our little guy was discharged early February 2018, TYJ! Till today, God sustains him from any side effects. Baby Johnny is recovering very well. God not only healed him, God sustained our family throughout our entire season. If it was not for the LOVE and grace of God we would not have been able to get through our season as peacefully and strong as we did.
OUR FATHER, OUR JESUS, & HOLY SPIRIT! Thank you!!