by An Oregon mother and son are undergoing treatment after both were diagnosed with different types of cancer on the same day, according to a report.
Britney and Jake McRae’s 4-year-old son Jamon was experiencing severe headaches when his parents took him to an emergency room in Medford, southern Oregon, and doctors diagnosed him with a brain tumor, Jake’s sister Chantal McRae told ABC 4.
After a 15-hour procedure to try to remove the mass, doctors discovered that what they thought was a benign cyst was actually an aggressive malignant tumor called an ependymoma.
“In the first operation they failed to remove all of the tumor and the doctors said it was probably the most difficult operation they had ever performed,” Chantal said.
That same day, Britney’s oncologist diagnosed her with gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, a rare condition caused by a group of tumors that grow in a patient’s uterus during an abnormal pregnancy.
Britney had experienced an eight-week molar pregnancy. According to the Cleveland Clinic, a molar pregnancy occurs when the egg and sperm fail to connect properly during fertilization, causing tumors to grow in the uterus.
In Britney’s case, the tumors had become cancerous and required chemotherapy, her sister told the outlet.
“It was pretty surreal,” Chantal said of both relatives receiving their diagnosis within the same 24 hours.
Chantal said the family went home to decorate for Christmas in the time between Jamon’s first and second surgeries.
“Christmas is Jamon’s favorite time, so it was cool that they could go home for it,” she said.
The four-year-old’s second surgery removed 99 percent of his tumor. The remaining 1 percent was connected to his brain stem and could have caused irreparable damage if removed, Chantal said.
Jamon is now recovering in hospital after another follow-up operation which caused him to temporarily lose the ability to control his right eye, resulting in double vision.
“He would say, ‘Hello two dads,’ or ‘Hello two TVs,'” Chantal said, noting that his doctors expected those symptoms to eventually go away.
Both mother and son are working toward recovery. Britney’s condition is treatable and she has already started chemotherapy. In the meantime, Jamon will need at least six weeks of radiation before he can potentially begin chemotherapy as well, Chantal said.
A GoFundMe was created by Britney’s brother Zachary Flores to cover medical costs and fund the family’s travel between their home in Medford and Primary Children’s Hospital in Stanford, California, where Jamon was treated.
The fundraiser had raised over $87,000 as of Monday afternoon.
“We’re very grateful for the tremendous support we’ve received from the community. It really shows humanity that the world is still a pretty good place, even if some pretty terrible things happen,” Chantal said. “We are still very hopeful. The odds are not completely against Jamon, so we are still rooting for him. We are confident that we will ultimately get a good result for him.”
Although there is still a lot up in the air, Chantal says the family remains hopeful that Jamon will be home in time to celebrate Christmas.
