Gunnar’s Journey: Conquering his Brain Tumor

These past few months, Gunnar has been getting horrible migraines, blurry vision, and dizziness/falling over/stumbling over. Gunnar decided he wanted to move home because he needed a fresh start and wanted to be around family to figure out what was going on and to focus on his health. His last day of work was going to be February 26th. Gunnar wanted to get in all of his doctor’s appointments before moving home so he went to the Optometrist on January 31st, and she dilated his eyes and noticed that his optic nerves were extremely swollen, she then suggested that he go into the ER to get a MRI. Gunnar was in the ER for HOURS! Gunnar finally got a MRI and it showed that he supposedly had a Rathke’s Cleft Cyst (RCC). Gunnar then was discharged and told to schedule surgery with a different hospital. February 4th our whole life changed. Gunnar was sent home from work because he “didnt look good.” Gunnar was almost home when he then passed out behind the wheel unexpectedly and got into a car accident. A good samaratin pulled him out of the car and stayed with him until first responders arrived. He was unresponsive. He was rushed to the ER. Gunnar suffered a major concussion and was scraped up and bruised all over. We were confused on what had happened. We weren’t getting answers. Our family rushed to Atlanta, Ga from Washington,DC and made it just in time for him to be released from the hospital again. We had to then try and schedule a surgery at a different hospital (because of his insurance). The first hospital still had not sent over the MRI to the new hospital. The neurosurgeon from the new hospital then called Gunnar and said he still had not received the MRI from January 31st (which is the one that diagnosed him with the RCC). So that doctor then sent him to the new hospital ER to get updated MRI, so he could have them for himself and to really study them and get him an official diagnosis. My mom and Gunnar then sat in the ER again for HOURS! Gunnar then got admitted into the hospital because they wanted to monitor him and he couldn’t get an MRI quickly because how busy the ER was. Gunnar was in the hospital on Tuesday 2/13/24. Thursday 2/15/24 we finally have a REAL diagnosis. Gunnar was diagnosed with obstructive hydrocephalus which is adding more pressure to his symptoms. He was also diagnosed with a Adamantinomatous Crainopharyngioma (ACP) which is rare type of noncancerous brain tumor. He had a cyst attached to that tumor and it had burst. Gunnar will need a non-invasive surgery to remove the tumor and the ENT and Neurosurgeon will go through his nose. His pre-op appointment is now scheduled for February 28th, 2024 and surgery is scheduled for March 5th, 2024. The surgery is about 6 hours and recovery will be about 4 weeks. He will most likely have to be on hormone replacement medication for the rest of his life due to this. Miriah (Mom) is staying with Gunnar in Atlanta until his surgery and he will finally be home after all of this. Dakota and Jay-Lee are in DC taking care of the house and animals, and Jesse (Dad) is still deployed.

Your generous contributions will go directly towards covering Gunnar's medical bills, including surgery costs, ER Bills, and any associated treatments. Additionally, funds will be used to cover expenses such as accommodations for recovery, ensuring Gunnar has a comfortable and supportive environment during his healing process. Your support will also provide for nutritious food options outside of hospital meals, necessary medications, and any other expenses not covered by insurance. Every donation makes a difference in helping Gunnar focus on his health and recovery without the added financial burden. Thank you for standing by our family during this difficult and scary time! This has been such a rollercoaster for my family to navigate (especially when dad is deployed). We just ask for prayers and love during this time! Thank you❤️