Many of you have heard about our sweet grandson John, and if you haven’t, we are so sorry you are just learning about this via email.  We have had a very long week, and have been unable to make all the calls we’d like to make, to talk to each and every one of you personally.

John has been down at Boston Children’s Hospital since last Sunday.  After a couple of weeks of disturbing symptoms – dizziness, upset stomach, vision issues – and after a CAT scan that showed no abnormalities, Jesse and Alison took him down to Boston to try to find some answers.

The news was devastating.  John was diagnosed early Monday morning with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a very rare brain tumor.  He is currently in the ICU at Children’s, recovering from a biopsy he had on Friday.  The hope is that the biopsy will better determine the exact type of radiation and chemotherapy that will help John recover from this.

Here’s a website we’ve found helpful:    http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site762/mainpageS762P0.html

We are confident that John is in the best place – Boston Children’s Hospital.  He had the number-one pediatric neurosurgeon to perform the biopsy, and the team at Children’s has been amazing.

Jesse and Alison are staying unbelievably strong.   They know their boy.  They are confident that if there’s any child who can beat this, it’s John.

Through researching DIPG further, we have found other stories of hope.  Little Caroline, from Massachusetts, was diagnosed with DIPG last November.  Here is the link to her story.

http://www.hopeforcaroline.org/Caroline_s_Story.html

We plan to create a similar website for John, that will update his journey back to health – which is what we are all visualizing.

The outpouring of love and support from our community of friends and family has been truly overwhelming.  We want to thank everyone ~ and only wish it were possible to do it personally.

Please keep our families in your thoughts and prayers.  We so appreciate it.

Love,

Brad and Daryl and family