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Dalton’s Story

Site created on February 22, 2007

On February 21, 2007, we found out that our 3 year old son, Dalton, had a brain tumor. The tumor was classified as a Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma. The surgery to remove the tumor was successful, and now we are on the road to recovery! :)

Early in 2007 Jason and I realized that Dalton was getting the "flu" often. We started documenting his bouts of vomitting and realized that no one has the flu 7 times in 3 months. We had also been doctoring for months about Dalton's lack of balance. He seemed to be more unstable than other kids his age. His doctors reassured us that he was a toddler who suffered with a chronic ear infection which could throw off his balance. Mid-February our little buddy started complaining about a headache..."MINE HEAD HURTS!"...and his speech started slowing down a bit. Finally after another night of vomitting, Jason said ever so quietly, "Something is wrong; you need to take him in." The following morning was Cassidy's birthday, and I made another appointment at the Shell Lake Clinic with a new doctor, Dr. Singh.

The following day I told Dr. Singh my concerns, showed her my documentation, and explained that I wasn't leaving the clinic until someone helped me. She assessed Dalton, and then asked to see him walk a straight line down the clinic hallway. Needless to say, he bounced off one wall and then the other like a pinball. Dr. Singh's face fell, and she ordered a CT scan for the following morning.
The scan went really well, but afterwards everyone was acting funny. The CT Tech told us to stick around because Dr. Singh was coming in to talk to us. Within minutes of that scan, we were informed that Dalton had a large tumor in his cerebellum and fluid backed up into his ventricles. Dr. Singh made arrangements for us to see Dr. Nagib at Children's Hospital of Minneapolis that afternoon. She gave us a hug, handed us Dalton's scans and wished us well. Our lives had just been turned up-side down.
We raced home to pack a few items, jumped in the car and headed to the cities. After lunch we met with Dr. Nagib and Jill Scholz. They talked about an immediate surgery to relieve the pressure in Dalton's brain (i.e. hydrocephalus). Jill walked us over to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit to prepare for a 3:30 surgery to insert an external shunt into Dalton's brain..a mere 5 hours after finding out this information.

This is where our story began. The journal entries will take you on our journey.

Newest Update

Journal entry by Tiffany Schroeder — Apr 23, 2023

It's time to celebrate with some pomp and circumstance! Dalton has overcome many "CIRCUMSTANCES" over the years so it's time for some POMP!! Many of you have been faithful followers of Dalton's journey for more than 16 years now. You have been checking CaringBridge for all of the ups and downs...surgeries, good reports, bad reports, plane rides, ambulance trips, Vegas trips, bad haircuts and times of healing. Maybe you've been one of our prayer warriors, meal preparers, household helpers, faithful friends, or we have yet to meet. Whatever part you've played in this story, we invite you to celebrate Dalton's high school graduation with us. The open house will be on Sunday, May 28 from 12-4 pm at our house (W7451 Lone Star Rd., Shell Lake, WI. 54871). Please come! Rejoice with us and celebrate what God has done for Dalton as he enters his next journey in La Crosse at Western Technical College. (You can start praying for me now. This empty nesting might be a hard transition!) We sincerely hope you will join us.

Jason & Tiffany

Read More of the journal titled "POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE!"

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