KAWARTHA LAKES-A Bowmanville family is living every parents worst nightmare.
Landon Mears has been diagnosed with an agressive form of cancer called Ependyoma and the best treatment for it is not available in Canada.
Ependymoma is a type of tumor that can form in the brain or spinal cord according to the Mayo Clinic. Ependymoma begins in the ependymal cells in the brain and spinal cord that line the passageways where the fluid (cerebrospinal fluid) that nourishes your brain flows. It can occur at any age, but most often occurs in young children. Children with ependymoma may experience headaches and seizures. Surgery is the primary treatment for ependymoma. For more aggressive tumors or for tumors that can’t be removed completely with surgery, additional treatments, such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy, may be recommended.
Landon first became ill in June 2022. According to the Go Fund me after repeated hospital visits his parents took him to Sick Kids on March 12. Doctors there determined he had a large brain tumor and needed emergency surgery. The surgeon was able to remove 98% of it but couldn’t get the part growing off of Landon’s brainstem as it could damage function to crucial parts of his face as well as breathing and swallowing. With some of the cancer remaining and this being a fast-growing tumor Landon needs to start treatment as soon as possible.
“We will have to travel to Florida for IMPT proton radiation. We are hoping and praying that we are able to come up with the funds to travel and pay for Landon’s much-needed treatment. He is a fighter and we will keep everyone updated on his progress.” said his mother Gladys who organized the fundraiser.
Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT),also known as “pencil beam proton therapy,” is a sophisticated mode of proton therapy and is considered the “holy grail” by many radiation oncologists. IMPT enhances the ability of the pencil beam to treat the tumor from multiple angles, at various depths and degrees of intensity. While each treatment field generated in pencil beam covers the entire area of the tumor, true IMPT patches together fields that treat one portion of the target area at a time until the entire tumor is treated according to the MD Anderson Cancer Centre.
The main goal now is to get Landon stable enough to go to the US for treatment and to raise the required funds.
Landon was just removed from a ventilator but still has a breathing tube. Hi brain is still healing from the surgery.
If you are able to help, here is the link to the fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/f/landons-out-of-country-treatment
