Kendric was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma at 3 years old in 2011. Medulloblastoma is a rapidly-growing tumor of the cerebellum — the lower, rear portion of the brain. He was having neck pains and then began vomiting when he woke up in the mornings.
When Kendric started vomiting every morning, After multiple visits to the doctor’s everyone thought it was “reflux”. Kendric’s parents had enough and demanded something to be done. Kendric was sent for a CT scan where it showed he had a brain tumor. The tumor was located on/near his brain stem.
Kendric and his mother, Erica, were flown from their hometown in Moncton, New Brunswick to Halifax, Nova Scotia to meet with a specialist at the IWK Health Centre on Monday, October 10, 2011. His father Mark and 8-month old brother Davis joined them in Halifax in what is turning out to be a very heart-wrenching time for their family.
While at the IWK, they were told the brain tumor was inoperable. This was a very difficult time for Mark & Erica. After further consultation, the medical staff decided that they would operate on Friday, October 14th. With a 50/50 chance, Kendric made it through 9.5-hour brain surgery. The sweet little boy showed his strength that day!!
The next day, the MRI showed that the doctors were able to remove all of the tumors from the brain. The next step was to complete the pathology to determine what type the tumor it was. Four days after the surgery, the results showed that it was malignant and called medulloblastoma. Kendric must now go through extensive chemotherapy and radiation treatment for the next 24 months, still staying at the IWK in Halifax, NS.. several hours drive from his home.
Since beginning treatment, he has had cognitive decline, memory issues, balance issues, hearing loss, hormone deficits, and pulmonary fibrosis.
Hope session by Sally Ann Photography | Facebook