Page 18 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt 9-25-15

September 25, 2015 FEATURE Thunderbolt
http://www.luke.af.mil
18 www.aerotechnews.com/lukeafb

Courtesy photo

Paul Boyer, 2, prior to being diagnosed with a brain tumor.

SURVIVES (from Page 1) WKH\ FRXOG WR JHW WKURXJK WKH IROORZLQJ ÀYH GD\V Courtesy photo

cause of where the tumor was, its shape and because before hearing about the lab results. Paul Boyer snacks on a banana in the days following his surgery
it caused the seizure. So they sent us home with anti-
seizure medication, and the following week we went “The doctor called and said, ‘This is something at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Phoenix.
to to our appointment.” ,·YHQHYHUVHHQEHIRUH·µ7LPVDLG´+HFRQWLQXHG¶,
learned something today. Paul has a very, very rare
+HDGYLVHGVXUJHU\LQRUGHUWRVHHZKDWH[DFWO\ WXPRU DQG LW·V DOVR YHU\ YHU\ YHU\ EHQLJQ 7KLV
Paul had. tumor is so benign there is no need for more surgery
or additional treatment.”
“The day of surgery we got updates from the Looking back, Tim believes, while there is never
operation room every hour,” Jaycee said. “After a perfect time to be told your child has a cancerous
VXUJHU\ KH VDLG ¶8QIRUWXQDWHO\ LW·V QRW ZKDW ZH brain tumor, it was as perfect as timing could get.
WKRXJKWLWZDV,WGRHVQ·WDSSHDUWREHEHQLJQ7KH “All of this happened two days before I was sched-
LQLWLDOSDWKRORJ\UHSRUWVVKRZLW·VJURZLQJDJJUHV- uled to take leave for 30 days,” Tim said. “It was like
VLYHO\EXWZHZRQ·WNQRZIRUVXUHXQWLOZHJHWWKH God had arranged my leave to happen the way it did.
ZKROHSDWKRORJ\UHSRUWEDFN·µ +HNQHZ,ZRXOGQHHGWREHRIIIRUDQH[WHQGHGWLPHµ
The community support Tim and Jaycee received
Another disappointment was that they were un- was tremendous.
able to remove the whole tumor because of the way ´'XULQJWKHWLPHZHZHUHQ·WVXUHZKDWZDVJRLQJ
it grew in the brain. to happen to Paul, my sister set up a Go Fund Me ac-
count to help us with additional expenses,” Tim said.
'HYDVWDWHGTXHVWLRQVLPPHGLDWHO\EHJDQÀOOLQJ “My work center also made a donation to us, which
their minds. helped with gas, food and more. My sister in-law set
XS D )DFHERRN SDJH FDOOHG ¶3UD\HUV IRU 3DXOLH· IRU
7LPDVNHG¶,ILWLVEHQLJQZKDWZLOOKDSSHQ"·7KH people to post prayers and words of encouragement.”
doctor said treatment for a benign tumor is remov- There were more than 1,000 followers. Their church
ing it entirely to prevent neurological problems. LQ6XUSULVH&KULVW·V&KXUFKRIWKH9DOOH\DOVRSUD\HG
for them, brought meals and more. Chaplain Barns
Whatever the case, this was going to be a long from the Luke chapel also commuted to Phoenix Chil-
road to walk for the family. GUHQ·V+RVSLWDOWRSUD\ZLWKDQGFRPIRUWWKH%R\HUV
during the ordeal.
Prior to Paul becoming ill, Jaycee spent her days What kept Tim strong was his faith, he said.
homeschooling her children. ´7KHZKROHWLPHZHZHUHQ·WVXUHLI3DXOZRXOGKDYH
a positive outcome, but our hope was in God,” he said.
´7KDW·V ZKHQ , NQHZ , ZRXOGQ·W EH DEOH WR FRQ- ´,ZDVVFDUHGDQGGLGQ·WNQRZZKDWZRXOGKDSSHQ
tinue to homeschool the kids, so we enrolled them EXW,SUD\HGIRUWKHDELOLW\WRDFFHSWZKDWHYHU*RG·V
in public school,” Jaycee said. I knew I had to be plan was for our son. I am thankful we have our son
DYDLODEOH IRU 3DXO·V WUHDWPHQW DQG DOO WKH IXWXUH DQGJHWWRVSHQGPDQ\PRUH\HDUVZLWKKLP,W·VDOVR
hospital visits.” SUHWW\FRROWRVHH3DXOEHDQRUPDONLGDJDLQZKR·V
happy and more talkative than ever.”
They found out about a school that focuses on Through the power of social media, family and
teaching good values to kids. The school was dif- FKXUFKPDQ\SHRSOHZHUHWRXFKHGE\3DXO·VMRXUQH\
ÀFXOW WR JHW LQWR DQG WKHUH ZHUH RWKHU REVWDFOHV ´:HERWKEHOLHYH*RGGLGDPLUDFOHLQ3DXO·VOLIHµ
such as tuition, school fees and other rising costs. Jaycee said. “We believe there is a much bigger pic-
WXUH WKDQ ZH FDQ VHH DQG KLJKHU SXUSRVH ZH GRQ·W
“At the time we heard the school was hard to get Courtesy photo
into because of limited space, but a friend looked
into it for us, Tim said. “That same day we learned IXOO\XQGHUVWDQG:H·YHDOUHDG\KHDUGPDQ\DFFRXQWV Paul enjoys a visit with Dr. David Adelson, a neurosurgeon who
both kids were accepted to the school.” RIOLYHVWRXFKHGE\3DXO·VVWRU\DQGZH·UHVXUHWKHUH specializes in seizures and the director of Barrow Neurological

Additionally, all school fees, including a $600 are countless others we may never know about.” Institute and chief of neurosurgery.
NLQGHUJDUWHQIHHDQGÀHOGWULSH[SHQVHVZHUHSDLG
in full by someone from their church. This support
from friends, family and church throughout was im-
mense in helping make the circumstances bearable.

Paul remained in the hospital for a few more days
recovering. Meanwhile, Tim and Jaycee did what