Saving Bennett’s Life
By Jen, a Children’s National parent
My son Bennett was 2 when he started having balance issues, mysterious falls and vomiting. At first we thought it was a virus. An MRI on a Friday at Children’s National Hospital revealed he had medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer. The situation was a horrible as anyone could imagine. His team scheduled brain surgery for the following Monday.
That day was incredibly stressful. Small things made a big difference. Bennett got upset about wearing the hospital gown and they didn’t make him put it on. Instead of insisting he lie on the stretcher on the way into the operating room, the anesthesiologist carried him. All of this was very comforting. There’s a culture of kindness and caring at Children’s National that goes way beyond the medical. Roger Packer, M.D., director of the Brain Tumor Institute and the attending surgeon held our hand throughout. We didn’t go home for months.
Fifteen years later, Bennett is in high school. It’s a great feeling to not need an oncology team anymore, but Dr. Packer and his team will always be the ones who saved Bennett’s life. When his tumor came back a month after surgery and his prospects of surviving went from 90 percent to 30 percent overnight, they figured it out.
Dr. Packer recommended a novel treatment and it worked. He spoke about innovations and new brain tumor treatments on the horizon that could cure kids without the very long list of potential side effects. After treatment, Bennett couldn’t use his left hand and didn’t walk or talk for months. He made an enormous amount of progress made in the following years. He had ongoing challenges related to endocrinology during his adolescence.
Thanks to Dr. Packer and his team, Bennett enjoys life with his family and friends and loves spending time on the golf course with his dad. My husband, Jay, and I have an overwhelming sense of gratitude for everyone at Children’s National.
That day was incredibly stressful. Small things made a big difference. Bennett got upset about wearing the hospital gown and they didn’t make him put it on. Instead of insisting he lie on the stretcher on the way into the operating room, the anesthesiologist carried him. All of this was very comforting. There’s a culture of kindness and caring at Children’s National that goes way beyond the medical. Roger Packer, M.D., director of the Brain Tumor Institute and the attending surgeon held our hand throughout. We didn’t go home for months.
Fifteen years later, Bennett is in high school. It’s a great feeling to not need an oncology team anymore, but Dr. Packer and his team will always be the ones who saved Bennett’s life. When his tumor came back a month after surgery and his prospects of surviving went from 90 percent to 30 percent overnight, they figured it out.
Dr. Packer recommended a novel treatment and it worked. He spoke about innovations and new brain tumor treatments on the horizon that could cure kids without the very long list of potential side effects. After treatment, Bennett couldn’t use his left hand and didn’t walk or talk for months. He made an enormous amount of progress made in the following years. He had ongoing challenges related to endocrinology during his adolescence.
Thanks to Dr. Packer and his team, Bennett enjoys life with his family and friends and loves spending time on the golf course with his dad. My husband, Jay, and I have an overwhelming sense of gratitude for everyone at Children’s National.
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