180 Degree Farm

Disclaimer: The information contained in this story is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It is provided for educational purposes only.  We are not doctors, just parents trying make a difference in the lives of those with cancer. ​This is the story of our youngest son, Mason, who changed our family’s life to the extreme, and impacted many more through his amazing testimony.   This journey, as a family, really began in 2006.  We had been searching for property, and in August of that year, we finally found the land of our dreams.   It was beautiful – complete with a lake and plenty of open pasture.   Nicole and I were constantly downloading house plans, looking for the perfect house to go on this perfect piece of property; however less than a month later everything changed. In early September of 2006, Mason our 3 year old, had been frequently and inexplicably throwing up, while also being very constipated. Nicole took him to the pediatrician, where the doctor felt a sizable lump in his abdomen.  The doctor thought it was a blockage in his intestines, due to his constipation, and told us to give him an enema and keep her posted.  We gave it to him and he finally went to the bathroom, but the lump was still there.  We went back to the pediatrician, where she took an x-ray which revealed a mass close to his spinal cord.  The pediatrician scheduled a CT scan to take place as soon as possible, which was unfortunately on Mason's 4th birthday. We walked in to the appointment and they immediately got him started on his 2 hour contrast beverage and prepping him for the CT scan.  The actual scan was over in less than ten minutes and back to the waiting room we went.  Five minutes later, we received the phone call that rocked our world.  It was his pediatrician on the phone and asked to speak to Nicole.  Nicole came back to the room and said to me,  “He has a tumor and there is a very high chance it is cancer.”  The look in her eyes said more to me than any words could do justice.  My wife was hurting and I was so confused.  Mason’s doctor immediately called the pediatric oncologist and made an appointment for us the next day. The ride home was hard and felt like an eternity.  I really couldn’t tell you what the conversation was about.  I guess it was about the unknown or whatever people that experience something very traumatic talk about.  It was just a blur. The next morning we headed back up to the hospital to meet with his new doctor.  The news wasn’t good.  After looking at the scan, he said he had Neuroblastoma and was a stage 4.  He told us to stay off the internet and he would schedule the surgery for a week out.  Again, tears, head spinning, with tons of questions and no answers.  The whole time Mason was so positive.  He truly believed that God would protect him and he wasn’t worried.  He certainly was our faith champion.  We made phone calls to our parents, pastor and close friends and explained to our older son, Camron, what was happening to his little brother. The morning of the surgery, we had to be at the hospital extremely early.  I remember feeling like I was losing any control I had.  They called him back to the prep area and gave him some silly juice (kind of knocks them out before they give him the anesthesia).  I didn’t want him to leave.  We were both so scared.  Finally, the medicine kicked in and he was nearly asleep.  They wheeled him back to the operating room and as the doors closed behind him, my stomach just sank.  The next few hours were nail biting, as we waiting anxiously for him to get out of surgery. The surgeon finally arrived in the waiting room to give us the details of his surgery.  He told us he removed the tumor and all that was left was cancer in his lymph nodes on the left side of his abdomen.  Shortly after, they wheeled Mason in front of the waiting room so we could see him before they took him into ICU.  He was very swollen and still seda