Support Noah's Battle Against Brain Cancer

My name is Leona Hanna. I am Diné, born of the Towering House Clan and born for the Edgewater Clan. My husband and I have been married for 22 years; we have four children.

My 17-year-old son, Noah, has been diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. Doctors call it a high-grade glioma with pleomorphic and pseudopapillary features.

In late August, Noah suffered from a persistent migraine that caused him to vomit. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t keep anything down. He was admitted to the emergency room, where the clinicians administered IV fluids and gave him a migraine cocktail before releasing him. They told us he was severely dehydrated.

We took him home, but he woke up the next day with another migraine and still couldn’t eat or drink. It was an incredibly difficult week, filled with debilitating migraines and bouts of vomiting. A few days after being released from the hospital, he reported experiencing double vision.

By that weekend, we found ourselves back in the emergency room. As soon as we mentioned Noah's double vision, he was taken for an MRI. Not long after, the doctors delivered the news. The MRI revealed a golf ball-sized tumor on the right side of his brain, and he would need emergency brain surgery. He and I were transported by ambulance to the main Primary Children’s Hospital campus in Salt Lake City. I am so thankful we live in a place with such excellent care; PCH truly is a lifesaver.

Throughout this ordeal, Noah remained alert and even enjoyed the ambulance ride, admiring the view in reverse. The medical team watched him closely; they feared he would have a seizure. We met so many wonderful people throughout this journey, starting with the excellent staff in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). I will not forget their kindness.

At noon on Saturday, September 7, we entrusted Noah's life to the skillful hands of the Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery. Those three hours felt like the longest of our lives. My husband and I clung to one another, feeling helpless as we waited. I am so glad Nick was by my side every step of the way.

The surgery was successful, and the surgeon felt confident that he had removed the entire tumor. Based on his experience, the tumor appeared to be a high-grade glioma, indicating a high probability of it being cancerous. However, they wouldn't know for certain until a pathologist examined the tissue under a microscope. Preliminary results would take a couple of weeks, while an official diagnosis would take about six weeks.

Noah spent the following days in the ICU recovering from brain surgery. Everything felt surreal. I took the early morning shift the day after his surgery. At 3 a.m., Noah was awake and conversing as he never had in his 17 years. He spoke in Navajo, told the time, named animals, and expressed love in his native language. He recalled meaningful memories from his grandma’s house and hiking in southern Utah as if he were desperately trying to hold onto the memories he feared he might lose. Noah had won the first battle; he came through the surgery with little to no loss of motor skills or memory.

Over the next few weeks, we learned that the tumor is cancerous. Noah would need both radiation and chemotherapy. He has completed three weeks of radiation and chemotherapy. Small victories. His body is tolerating the treatment well enough. He naps more often, but he hasn’t had a single migraine. He will have a gnarly scar over his right ear and possibly lose some or all of his luscious hair. His vision was restored after the swelling in his brain subsided. His hair is thinning a bit from radiation, and the hair around his incision has regrown nearly an inch long. He is slowly returning to doing the activities he loves, such as disc golf, pickleball, hoop dancing, board games, billiards, and darts. He has four weeks of radiation left and seven months of chemotherapy to go.

I now understand how to respond when asked about our needs. I realize that we are part of a caring community that wants to help us. We tried our best to carry this load alone, but we couldn't do it by ourselves. The bills are piling up, and we can't pay them. My friend Jen has graciously offered to help us set up a fundraiser. She has wisely advised me to accept help from others.

The money raised will be used for medical expenses, a laptop, lost wages, and transportation costs. Noah and I have been driving to Salt Lake City every day for treatment, which is about an hour's drive from our home. I would also like to buy Noah a laptop so he can keep up with his classes. We were barely getting by in this economy before the tumor diagnosis, and now we are struggling to stay afloat. My husband, Nick, has missed many days of work to support Noah.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I promise to provide updates on Noah’s condition and let you all know how he’s doing.