Gregory Doucet
It was not until a routine visit to the paediatrician at a year-and-a-half old that led to the diagnosis that changed everything.
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At 5 months old, Brady’s parents noticed unusual spots on his body. He was seen by a dermatologist who diagnosed the little boy with Type 1 Neurofibromatosis – a genetic disorder that causes tumours to form on nerve tissue. These tumours can develop anywhere in the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord and nerves.
The family continued to monitor spots on his skin and later benign tumour bumps appeared. But when Brady was six, a curve in his spine appeared. An MRI detected Brady had a plexiform neurofibroma – which is a larger, more extensive tumour – growing off his spine. Because it was so large, it caused Brady’s spine to bend, much like a tree with branches on one side being too heavy. This tumour is not removable so Brady has now had three spinal surgeries to implant rods into his back to keep his spine straighter.
Despite the rods in his back and the major surgeries he has had, now 12-year-old Brady is perseverant and doesn’t let anything stand in his way. Brady will need to continue to visit the Children’s Hospital as his tumour growths require continued monitoring and his spinal rods need to be adjusted as he grows.
