July 9, 2000, Aaron Leal was diagnosed with medullablastoma. I, being his mother, was shocked to know that my child had been diagnosed with brain cancer. I knew it ran in my family history - I lost my mother, my grandmother and my uncle to cancer as a child. I knew I would be high risk for this disease but never thought of it touching my children. This is a time line of events that Aaron and our family has gone through since he was diagnosed.
2000:
July 11 - the tumor was removed
July 12th - the VPN shunt was placed
July 18th - Catheter
July 23rd - Staff infection and Aaron was hospitalized
August 10th - Radiation therapy for six weeks
August 14th - Aaron was completely paralyzed from the neck down
I was having to carry medicine bag, car seat, neck brace, Aaron and everything to go along with this in the wheel chair to get to the hospital for treatments due to the paralyzation.
October 4 - Started Chemotherapy
2001:
March 30 - Chemotherapy Session I ends
April 3rd - MRI good news - disease is stable.
Aaron started walking a little. He had to learn all over again - everything: how to walk, eat, bathroom, etc.
June 23rd - The tumors had returned on the brain stem.
July 2nd - Discovered we were going to have a new baby in the family! Can you talk about timing? This was not great timing but a wonderful blessing for the Leal Family.
July 15 - Aaron started on an experimental drug called ironotecan for 1 year
