In December 2020, I took my 9-year-old son for his yearly physical. We had no concerns whatsoever and expected to be in and out in less than 45 minutes. It was just another routine visit — or so we thought.
During the checkup, the nurse performed a standard hearing test and noticed something unusual. They found hearing loss in his left ear. My husband and I even joked with the doctor, saying, “Oh, that’s why you don’t listen to me,” thinking it was probably just an ear infection or maybe water trapped in his ear. The doctor suggested we see an ENT (ear, nose, and throat specialist) just to be safe.
A few days later, the ENT confirmed something shocking — our son was completely deaf in his left ear and would need a cochlear implant. I wasn’t ready to talk about implants yet. I needed to know why my son had suddenly lost hearing in one ear. When the ENT brushed off my concerns, I followed my instincts and called our pediatrician, demanding an MRI.
That same day — New Year’s Eve 2020 — we got the MRI.
On the way home, my phone rang. It was the pediatrician. Her voice was urgent. She asked us to come in immediately for the results. My heart sank. I knew something was terribly wrong.
The MRI revealed a large brain tumor with fluid surrounding it. Within hours, my son was rushed to Duke University Hospital for emergency surgery. The operation lasted eight long hours. The surgeon managed to remove 90% of the tumor, but the remaining 10% was too close to the brain stem — too risky to touch.
Six weeks later, during a follow-up MRI, our worst fears came true — the tumor had grown back. My son immediately began chemotherapy, enduring a full year of intense treatment. It was the hardest year of our lives, filled with fear, tears, and hope.
Today, by the grace of God, my son has been stable for three years. His strength and courage continue to inspire us every single day.
I share our story in the hope that it helps another parent.
👉 Please, never skip your children’s yearly checkups. Even when they seem perfectly healthy, those routine visits can truly save a life. Our pediatrician — and those doctors who acted quickly — quite literally saved my son’s.
Next month, he will have another routine MRI. We’re praying it shows the tumor is still stable.
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