Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting. If you have been following Willie's story you may know that he was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer end of June 2021. After an ER trip on June 24th due to severe headaches and falling, they found two brain tumors. He had the larger more accessible one removed the next day in an emergency craniotomy. At the time, our family was experiencing housing insecurity due to losing our rental and a housing crisis in our area. However, we miraculously secured a rental home and moved to Kalispell which is much closer to doctors and the hospital in between this first surgery and the beginning of 6 weeks of radiation and chemotherapy. Right after we moved in mid-July, Willie started experiencing left-side weakness. A MIR scan showed the 2nd tumor had grown. Another emergency surgery on July 27th was done to drain the tumor. It was not safe to remove. Willie's mobility returned and he was able to navigate through 6 weeks of radiation and chemotherapy. Unfortunately, the left side weakness returned a week after treatment ended. It came on suddenly and worse than before. Another MIR showed the 2nd tumor had ballooned up. We had to decide to attempt to drain it to maintain mobility or a risky surgery to attempt to remove as much as possible so it can't fill up with fluid anymore. We chose to be aggressive and do surgery. Willie is currently in inpatient rehab after surgery working to regain mobility in his left arm and leg. He will continue chemotherapy in 2 weeks....journey continued in below updates.
