The Whitaker Family

September 18th 2019,  Libby Whitaker got the dreadful call from UT Medical Center ER in Knoxville that her 19 yo son Burke, a sophomore @ University of Tennessee had a seizure.    After having a MRI he was then diagnosed with a low grade astrocytoma and sent home to be treated at Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke.   October 4th Burke had a 6 hour+ surgery to remove the tumor and was home less then 24 hours waiting for pathology results.  Less than 72 hours after surgery, Burke woke up really out of it and as the morning went on his behavior became increasingly weirder.   The resident on call directed them to the ER where Burke had a CT scan showing a hematoma on his brain and  unfortunately needing to have another surgery!!!  After a very scary road Burke was back home October 11th!!  
Burke's pathology results came back and unfortunately they did not get the news they wanted.  His tumor is a anaplastic astrocytoma- a rare malignant brain tumor.  The tumor isn't curable- he will need to continually be monitored for its return- but it's treatable.  The treatment plan is 6 continuous weeks of radiation and oral chemotherapy which he'll do at the Duke Cancer Center.  
The love and support is immense that The Whitaker Family has received from friends & family near and far!!!!  They are doing their best to keep on keeping on!   Many friends and family have wanted to offer help in anyway they can.  This is going to be a very stressful time financially and emotionally.  Please consider to support them with what you can.