We found out that Michael had stage II neuroblastoma on November 12, 2003. That was, without a doubt, the toughest day of our lives. At the time, Michael was almost 2-and-a-half years old. It was an incidental finding. Michael had been experiencing some breathing problems which were initially diagnosed as bronchiolitis. The third time we went to the pediatrician she ordered a chest x-ray and that's when the mass was discovered. It was an enormous shock to us and the pediatrician.

We were sent to The Children's Hospital in Denver via ambulance because of Michael's breathing problems. There, he had a CT scan and that was when the ER doctor confirmed our fears that it was a cancerous tumor. The oncologist later told us that it was neuroblastoma and the tumor was lodged in between his heart and his spine. However, the good news was that she was almost certain the cancer had not spread. They scheduled him for a tumor resection one week later. The oncologist and the surgeon wanted to give Michael a week to stabilize his breathing, but at the time they were unsure if the breathing difficulties were due to the tumor since there are still many unknowns about neuroblastoma.

Thankfully on November 21, 2003 Michael's tumor was removed successfully. Following the tumor resection, he underwent several tests to determine that the cancer had in fact not spread. We were and are very fortunate!

As of 2009, Michael was deemed "cured" by his oncologist. This was the news we had been waiting years for, but were never quite sure of when it would come. And even though we have heard the word "cured" it doesn't stop us from worrying every time Michael is sick or finds a strange bump on his body. However, we know that each day is a gift and are grateful for Michael's continued good health.

Today, Michael will soon be graduating from Texas Tech University and is planning to attend medical school to become an orthopedic surgeon. He remains thankful to be cancer-free and able to participate in plenty of sports with his peers.

Written by Lisa Loomer, Michael’s Mom
Updated December 2022