MITCHELL BECKNER

On January 18, 2008, Mitchell was diagnosed with  medulloblastoma, a brain tumor.
He went through 18 months of chemotherapy and radiation.  You can read his story here.

Within 4 days of the discovery of his tumor, Mitchell had surgery to remove it. The neurosurgeons were able to remove 90% of the tumor. The remaining portion of the tumor couldn't be removed due to fusion to the brain stem. The biopsy revealed that the tumor was a malignant tumor named medulloblastoma. This type of tumor is one of the most common among young children. Alot is known about this type of tumor and with Chemotherapy and radiation treatments, there is an 80% cure rate.  The oncologist is very optimistic about Mitchell's recovery.

On Febuary 3, Mitchell was released from the hospital. He is doing well with the exception of a few side effects from the surgery. He experienced what is called Cerebellum Mutism. This is common among patients who have had brain surgery. His speech was temporarily impaired and he had limited use of his left arm. His had difficulty with his sense of balance. Every day is getting better as he is progressing a little more. He is receiving physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy weekly to help with his recovery in these areas.