Austin is alive today because of the expertise of his world-class neurosurgeon and Radiothon listeners funding vital equipment he needed to save his life.
Austin has always had migraines since he was a little kid. Then last year, the intense headaches started coming on more frequently and causing nausea vomiting and blurred vision. He missed lots of school because he was so miserable and in pain. While their family doctor couldn’t find anything else that could be causing the headaches. their sharp-eyed optometrist did. An examination found pressure being put on his left eye due to mass, and he sent them straight to the Alberta Children’s Hospital.
At the hospital, specialists ordered a CT scan, the results of which were shocking – a tumour in the back of Austin’s brain that was causing hydrocephalus – or a buildup of a fluid in his brain that couldn’t drain properly – requiring immediate surgery. Thankfully a follow up MRI revealed the mass was benign, and not cancerous, but it would be too difficult to remove through an operation. Instead, world renowned pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Jay Riva-Cambrin would use state-of-the-art equipment called an endoscope, funded for the neurosurgery team through Radiothon 2023, to create a new pathway in his brain for the fluid to drain. If left untreated, his condition could have been fatal. “Within two weeks, we could have lost him,” says Alea emotionally.

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Handing her son over for brain surgery was heart wrenching, and waiting for him to be out of the operating room was agonizing, though Alea felt confidently he was in the best hands with Dr. Riva-Cambrin. After spending the night in hospital following surgery, Austin went home the very next day.
While Austin recalls the ice cream and video games he got to play when he thinks of his hospital experience, Alea remembers the calmness and compassion of Dr. Riva-Cambrin, who also declared he would be “Austin’s best friend,” as he closely monitors him with regular MRIs to keep an eye on any tumor growth. She is also grateful for a hospital that keeps the focus on kids, their spirits, and their mental health when faced with something scary.
Austin and his sister have been to the hospital many times for accidents and minor injuries. He and his family would never have imagined needing to go back one day for life-saving brain surgery. They are so grateful for Radiothon listeners for funding the neurosurgical endoscope Dr. Jay needed to perform his operation with the best accuracy and precision, for Austin to be able to go home so quickly and recover so well.

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