Anders Olson Brain Tumor Journey

My name is Justine, and I am setting up this account to help my sister Jacqueline & brother-in-law Anders get through a very difficult time.

As many of you may know, a routine office visit last May quickly turned into an emergency situation that had us all holding our breath & hoping for the best possible outcome. After noticing swelling of his optic nerves, Anders’ eye doctor sent him directly to Munson’s emergency department for an MRI. They found a tumor on his brain stem and he was immediately transferred to the University of Michigan for further evaluation, and ultimately brain surgery.

The most pressing issue was that because of its location, the tumor was blocking a duct in his brain. As a result, Anders was suffering from severe hydrocephalus. It was vital to get the swelling under control, so doctors recommended a ventriculostomy. Thankfully, this operation was successful in rerouting the drainage system of his brain to allow for proper flow of cerebrospinal fluid.

Anders initially checked all of the boxes for a very low grade, seemingly harmless tumor called a tectal glioma. Considering that its location also made it very dangerous to perform a biopsy, Anders’ surgeon determined the benefits of the procedure would not outweigh the risks at that time. The safest option was to leave the mass undisturbed and monitor with routine imaging for the months & years to come.

Unfortunately, Anders recently began experiencing symptoms again. An MRI on February 8th showed that the tumor had nearly doubled in size since July, which was very shocking news to us all. Jacqueline, Joni, and his parents traveled back to UofM with Anders so that his surgeon could perform that risky biopsy. We are grateful that the operation went well, but we find ourselves once again holding our breath & praying for good news as we await results. While we still don’t have a final diagnosis, we do know that he will need to undergo treatment, most likely a combination of chemotherapy & radiation.

To know Anders and Jacqueline is to love them. They are amazing people with huge hearts and deep ties to the community and Old Mission Peninsula. They run the historic Neahtawanta Inn alongside Anders’ grandma Sally; on any given day you’ll find them preparing delicious meals, taking care of guests, and sharing all the history of the area with their beautiful daughter Joni at their side. They have dedicated their lives to taking care of others through the inn, and now it’s our turn to take care of them. With a very long road ahead, they are anticipating financial strain from medical bills, travel for treatment, and the inability to work as they normally would.

We are so lucky to have Anders as part of our family, and are asking you to please help us in relieving some of this stress so that he & Jacqueline can focus on his recovery and healing. Thank you in advance from the bottom of our hearts! We will post updates here as we receive them.