Hello, My name is Tanner. My wife Tara and I fundraising for my daughter Tatum. 3 days after Tatums 9th birthday we took her to the ER for left sided weakness. Within a few hours our worlds were flipped upside down and we were told she had a brain tumor. She was immediately transferred to the bigger children’s hospital where she underwent a brain surgery to obtain a biopsy on Halloween.

The tumor is intertwined in her thalamus and the inner capsule of the brain which makes it inoperable. She has underwent 12 weeks of chemotherapy and at her repeat MRI on 3/3/23 it was noted the tumor had grown some but the cyst had become much larger and there were now two other cysts as well.

She was scheduled for brain surgery on St Patrick’s day 3/17 to drain the cysts and to make them all communicate with the hopes that she would not need another surgery to drain them or to place a permanent drain. They also planned to try to remove some of the tumor in the less dangerous areas.

On 3/18 she went to MRI to see how the surgery went and we were told it was not successful and they would need to go back in to repeat the surgery. Less than 24 hours out from brain surgery she was back in the OR for another. We are so thankful that the second surgery was much more successful.

She will still require treatment and proton radiation for the remaining tumor, along with physical and occupational therapy due to the deficits from the tumor and the surgery. She has also had multiple hospitalizations since diagnosis and more appointment’s than we can count. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated to help with medical costs.