On February 28th, the Sooter family’s world was turned upside down. After noticing a few days of motor issues, Emily and Jordan took their son, Miles (19 months old), to the pediatrician and then to the ER. Although they were told it was likely nothing serious, a precautionary CT scan revealed a 7 cm tumor near Miles’ cerebellum. Soon after, he was diagnosed with brain cancer. Thankfully, surgery on March 3rd was successful, and the tumor was completely removed. Initially, doctors believed it was an ependymoma, with a treatment plan of six weeks of proton radiation therapy. However, further pathology results from the NIH revealed that Miles has an extremely rare pediatric tumor, with fewer than 50 known cases. While the prognosis offers better long-term outcomes, the road ahead will be difficult. Miles will undergo six months of chemotherapy, followed by six weeks of proton radiation therapy. Chemotherapy for a 19 month old will be difficult with most the common side effects being nausea, loss of appetite, nerve pain and a severely compromised immune system. The Amazon wish list has been reloaded with some items that should support the family during these months. This will be a challenging year for them, but Emily and Jordan are ready to fight as hard as Miles to see him cancer free! As the Sooters face this challenging journey, they are also preparing to welcome their second child, due on May 10th—just weeks after Miles begins chemotherapy on March 31st. Emily, Jordan, Miles, and baby brother have a long and difficult fight ahead, and they need our support. Thank you for standing with the Sooters during this unimaginable time.