Support Elliott Through his Brain Surgery Journey

****UPDATE from Steve and Sue****

We can hardly believe that it’s been almost three weeks since Elliott’s brain surgery. We are so incredibly grateful for the support and love we’ve received from so, so many of you. It’s an emotional journey for sure. We’ve learned so much since the surgery, but the biggest realization that we’ve come to is that this will be an ultra marathon and not a sprint. Elliott’s follow-up and therapies fill our everyday. We just returned last night from a surprise two-day trip to Grand Rapids. Elliott had some unexpected swelling in his face so we returned to DeVos for two appointments and an MRI. He’s also involved in PT, OT, speech therapy, vision therapy, and cognitive rehabilitation. We are blessed beyond belief to have all of these incredible assets available to him. We are ready for this journey, and he’s ready to fight!! It’s a bit daunting and terrifying for us as his parents, but Elliott’s determination and courage keep us going. Again, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support and love. We cherish you all. ♥️

The Hammon Family’s life was turned upside down three days before Christmas. After routine bloodwork following a yearly physical for Elliott, Sue got a call at school that no parent should ever receive. Certain markers in Elliott’s bloodwork showed dangerous levels of brain mass indicators. That evening, last Wednesday, Elliott had an MRI at Munson, and not even 10 minutes into their ride back to Frankfort, it was confirmed that there was a large mass in Elliott’s brain. By the next afternoon, Elliott was admitted to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in downtown Grand Rapids where the pediatric neurosurgeons immediately started testing to further identify Elliott’s condition. After 24 hours of investigation, the team of specialists concluded that Elliott had two (one large, ping pong ball sized and one smaller) fluid filled cysts and two pituitary tumors. The imminent danger was the incredible pressure that the cysts were putting on the cerebral ventricles, thus inhibiting cerebral fluid to flow to crucial areas of the brain. The pressure was also preventing the pituitary gland to function properly. Then there were the pituitary tumors themselves, which over time, had grown in and around the pituitary gland, which is located closely to the optic nerve and the cerebral arteries.

 

Elliott’s brain surgery is Thursday, December 30, beginning at 7:30 a.m. The team’s approach will be to enter the brain through a large incision on the left side of his head and skull, and “sneak” under the brain, approaching the affected area from below. First, they will test the tumor cells to assure that it is a benign mass. Then, drain the cysts causing them to collapse. The next challenge will be to remove as much of the tumors as possible, protecting pituitary function, avoiding the optic nerve, and the cerebral arteries. This is a serious and intricately complicated procedure. In fact, it is truly a ONE in a million case, with experts seeing situations like this maybe only 350 times per year in the United States. Elliott’s team of doctors include pediatric neurosurgeons, skull base experts, pediatric ophthalmologists, pediatric endocrinologists, and other experts as well. This team is renowned for this procedure, and they all come with the very highest of recommendations from experts in the field across the U.S.

 

The road to recovery for Elliott is truly unknown at this point. He will remain in the pediatric ICU for several days and then transfer to a step down unit where the experts will constantly evaluate his hormone levels and brain functioning. The Hammon family, including Steve, Sue, Evan, Luke, and Elliott, is strong and committed to this road ahead of healing and rehabilitation for Elliott. They will be in Grand Rapids for a few weeks more at the least, and be making weekly trips after that, but again, that is all a part of the unknown.

 

Steve and Sue are eternally grateful for the outpouring of support and love that they have received from Frankfort to TC to Grand Rapids to Florida to Texas, New York, Colorado, MSU, the NBA, NFL, PGA and even farther! Sue said that every call, text, video, message, and post gives them that much more courage and inspiration to stay strong and remain resilient for Elliott. Funds generated will be used toward travel expenses, hotels, gas, food, medical expenses, therapy, and other unforeseen future costs. If you can, please help to support Elliott and the Hammon Family in this surgical journey and the road to a FULL recovery for Elliott.