At the age of nineteen our son, Sam, was playing in a band at local venues, had earned a scholarship at community college and was preparing to complete his degree at Arizona State University. He had just started a good job so he could save money and move into an apartment with his best friend. Life was good, in fact-very, very good.

Over the winter break, Sam was experiencing headaches and numbness on the right side of his face. He was diagnosed with and treated for a sinus infection. The sinus infection cleared up but the symptoms remained. Weakness and a tingling sensation in his left leg prompted Sam’s physician to order an MRI as a precautionary measure.

Shortly after returning home from the scan, the doctor told our son “Sam, there is a mass in your brain.” Those words and the look on our nineteen-year old’s face will forever be etched in our minds and in our hearts. One week after a visit to our family doctor for antibiotics for a sinus infection our son was scheduled for brain surgery.

We watched our healthy vibrant son cope with the devastating diagnosis of an aggressive brain stem tumor - DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma). The prognosis included a two-year survival rate of less than 10 % and an average length of survival from diagnosis of 9 months.

Sam endured two brain surgeries, radiation, chemotherapies, as well as inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation. Our son faced every step with courage and hope although the odds were stacked against him. He had the “heart of a lion.”

The progression of Sam’s tumor caused the loss of body functions bit by bit until, at the very end he was unable to speak, eat, or move his limbs. Despite the tremendous efforts of his doctors, members of his medical team and Sam’s own courageous spirit he passed away nine months later.