Bright 's battles against brain cancer.

Mary Lemke Start Date: Feb 2, 2020 - End Date: May 26, 2020
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Professional Development
  • Vacation/Personal Trip
  • California, United States of America

My Travel Story

by: Mary Lemke Start Date: Feb 2, 2020 - End Date: May 26, 2020
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Professional Development
  • Vacation/Personal Trip
Bright our only child is 6 years old. He’very active with an infectious giddy laugh and a very caring nature. He loves animals and is very passionate (nerdy) about superheroes! He is inquisitive about the world around him, asking me questions I struggle with at times. Little did I know the hardest questions and answers were to come.

On the 4th of December following weeks of intermittent vomiting and headaches and persistent misdiagnosis we decided to bring Caden to Temple St. Hospital, as his bloods had been clear the week before we thought maybe he was suffering with migraines but we wanted an answer. 2 hours later our world shattered and our hearts broke as we were told Bright had a malignant medulloblastoma (brain tumour). That moment will flash through our minds forever and our first reaction was ‘can he survive’ to which we were told ‘yes, but it will be the hardest thing you ever go through’. Bright was outside the room colouring seeming in perfect health at that moment, it was so hard to comprehend just how sick he really was.We were admitted to the hospital immediately and Brightwas operated on for 8 hours the following day. The relief when he was back in ICU and had come through was immense but it wasn’t to last. We were told not all of the tumour had been removed and the surgeon would like to operate again in 5 days. The team at Temple Street Hospital were amazing. We spent one month in hospital and they allowed it to become our home, particularly on Christmas day.
     We were discharged on new years eve and considering everything, Bright has adapted to his situation in the
way only kids can, with gusto and a determination that he will beat this. He has mobility issues for now but we believe in him and that he is ready for the next stage of his treatment
  • California, United States of America