 Mon, Sep 08, 2008 04:53 AM
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2008-03-27  FORSYTH HERALD | Forsyth kindergartner, family copes with brain tumor
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| | by Logan Thomas | |  |
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| | | (SPECIAL/www.forsythherald.com)
Jenna Vorbeck, 6, and her father, Steve, had the surprise of a lifetime in December when Jenna had to undergo a nine-hour surgery to remove a brain tumor. (click for larger version) | |
March 31, 2008
FORSYTH COUNTY -- Jenna Vorbeck was having a normal November weekend when the six-year-old suddenly had a seizure.
"She twitched and her eyes were just unfocused," said her mother, Beth. "By the time we got to the doctor, she seemed all better."
But what first seemed like a serious "headache" would lead to the Vorbeck family discovering their Jenna had a brain tumor. Soon after, she was in surgery as doctors tried to remove the tumor.
When the word "tumor" was mentioned to Jenna's father, Steve, he couldn't bring himself to call his wife.
"The tumor was the size of a 50 cent piece in her cerebellum," he said. "I couldn't even call my wife. The doctor had to tell her."
Beth said she would never forget that day.
"I didn't know how I was going to drive to the hospital," she said shaking her head. "I felt everything was closing in on me at that moment."
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What followed was a successful nine-hour surgery Dec. 10 in the Department of Neurosurgery at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta that removed the growth called a "posterior fossa tumor," which occurs in the back and lower part of the skull usually involving the brainstem and cerebellum. Dr. William Boydston, the neurosurgeon performing the surgery, said this is a very common tumor.
"Jenna's tumor had a very low level of aggressiveness," he said. "In other words, this is one of the better tumors to have if you have to have one."
This part of the brain is responsible for motor and cognitive functions as well as emotional affects. Removing the tumor can affect additional parts of the brain and lead to "posterior fossa syndrome," which can include absence of speech, cognitive impairment and a change in personality.
Boydston said the tumor had come very close to the brain stem, but surgery completely removed it.
Beth said she thought Jenna would be home in five to seven days. However, the family soon realized Jenna's fight to recover would last much longer as the kindergartner from Chattahoochee Elementary relearned all her motor functions.
It's a fight Jenna will continue for the foreseeable future, her mother said.
"She had to start all over," her mother said. "She learned how to eat and drink again."
Boydston said about 20 percent of children undergoing this surgery suffer from mutism.
"The kids are awake and can understand you," he said, "but they just can't verbalize. It becomes frustrating for the patient but the good news is that it tends to resolve itself."
Jenna recovered and recently graduated from rehabilitation. Her speech language pathologist, Jason Amos, said Jenna has made great progress.
"When Jenna first came in, she was communicating by pointing and using single words," he said. "It was very tough at first for her to communicate. Now, she uses complete sentences."
Amos said he really saw the "real" Jenna toward the end of his two months with her.
"Jenna has a real lively and active personality," he said. 'She's very curious. I didn't get to see a lot of this until the end of her stay."
Amos said his favorite part about his job is "seeing kids progress."
"You really get to know the families," he said. "You see people that come in and can't swallow or talk. It's amazing to see the progress in a short amount of time."
Jenna is now expected to make a full recovery, her mother said.
"We don't have a timeline," she said. "She will start with half days at school and continue her therapy. We will just take it one day at a time."
Boydston said Jenna's future "is bright."
"I think she will do beautifully," he said. "The chances of any reoccurrence are minimal."
Jenna enjoyed her first day back to school March 24.
"She didn't want to leave," her mother said.
Throughout the entire situation, both parents still found reason to smile.
"It was incredibly hard," Steve said of his time in the hospital. "I would take a break to go walking through the hospital and see kids fighting for their lives while hooked up to machines."
Beth said her family could deal with any disability Jenna might have.
"Some of these parents might not have their children come home," she said before adding all the families at the hospital became very close.
The Vorbecks said the situation has been "financially exhausting." For anyone desiring to help, a medical trust fund has been established at Bank of America in Jenna Vorbeck's name.
"It's been incredibly hard on the entire family," Steve said. "But we've been soothed by all the love that has been given to us."
Beth said the bills didn't really matter.
"I think this was God's way to tell us we needed to smell the roses," she said. "There are more important things in life. We'll worry about the bills later."
- www.northfulton.com
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Posterior Fossa Syndrome
Many children who undergo surgical treatment for posterior fossa tumors show a common set of problems sometimes called posterior fossa syndrome. These problems include:
• Mutism (absences of speech) occurring in 10 to 30 percent of children treated for cerebellum tumors. The mutism is generally temporary and may last for a period of one day to several months.
• Cognitive impairment includes decreased attention and concentration. The child might have difficulty with organization and problem solving.
• Changes in personality might consist of a limited ability to express emotions.
For more information, visit www.abta.org.
Source: Children's Healthcare of Atlanta | |
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