Braxton's Fight Against Chordoma Tumor

Help Braxton and me during this hard time.

My son Braxton Howell lost all feeling from the waist down right after Christmas. He could no longer walk or use the bathroom.

We went to the ER and were transferred to Randall Children's Hospital, only to have an MRI reveal that he has a tumor on his spine at L2, which is wrapped around his nerves. He had emergency surgery the very next day on the 13th of this month, and they were able to remove 50% of the tumor. The bottom half is still there, but to remove it, he'd need a very long, big surgery to remove the top and sides of L2, replaced with plates and screws.

The biopsy results came back today and it's a chordoma tumor. They want us to do radiation first, followed by another surgery, then back to radiation.

He'll need to go to Seattle for radiation to have proton beams daily for a month or more the first time. In the meantime, he is doing inpatient physical therapy, learning how to stand and hopefully walk again.

We have no release date to go home. Bills are adding up, and I haven't been able to work since we arrived. Plus, the Seattle cost and not working on top will add up fast!

He will have to self-catheterize for the rest of his life.

I will keep this page updated as I get more information.