Jacob

Jacob Steward

Jacob ("Jesse" as his parents like calling him) is a happy, creative, strong, and very active little human who has been fighting for his life.

Signs and Symptoms:

Jacob was diagnosed at 20 months old, after his parents and close relatives noticed him walking a little wobbly.

He had always reached his milestones like any other baby/toddler. He started walking a few days after his first birthday, and by the time he was 15 months old, he would run around, go up and down the stairs, bed, and couch.

On February 10th, 2024, Jacob’s parents and Abuelita noticed he had started walking a little off, but thought it was because he was tired, or maybe even catching a cold; they continued paying close attention. 2 days had passed by, and Jacob would continue walking in a wobbly way, going towards the sides and even falling to the ground. Although he was able to reincorporate himself back up, it was definitely something out of his “normal”.

Diagnosis:

On Feb. 13th, mom and dad decided to take him to the doctor in Tijuana, Mexico, who after a quick assessment first diagnosed him with postinfectious encephalitis, however the doctor did suggest taking Jacob to have further tests performed to confirm the diagnosis.

The next day, on Feb. 14th, Jacob was rushed to the ER in a children’s hospital in San Diego, CA. and after long hours,a more accurate diagnosis was made, this time supporting said diagnosis with a CAT scan. Jacob had a brain tumor on his 4th ventricle.

Treatment:

Jacob was admitted to the hospital that same night and got surgery performed to remove the tumor on Feb. 16th. Doctors were able to fully remove the tumor without causing damage to his brain. He has successfully recovered from surgery!

He went through 3 cycles of chemotherapy treatment, starting on March 12th. 

Jacob started his first stem cell rescue cycle on May 10th, he did amazing throughout this cycle and after 21 days he was able to be discharged.

During the second stem cell rescue cycle, which started on June 8th, Jacob had a really hard time with mucositis. It was very painful, but he managed to stay active, positive and happy through it all. Unfortunately, during this cycle the nurses noticed his Apheresis line was off, even though it was still drawing blood and taking meds, it was not in its original place. Jacob was scheduled for a central line change on June 26th. 24 hours post surgery; he was discharged from the second stem cell rescue cycle.

His third and final stem cell rescue cycle began on July 5th; he went through this cycle with such grace, showing how strong and resilient he is.

On July 25th, he was able to ring the bell as he finished his chemotherapy treatment.

However his journey isn't over yet, he started proton radiation on August 20th, 2024. He will receive 28 sessions Monday through Friday. The risks are many, but the hope of radiation keeping ATRT from coming back and our faith in God keeping his hand on Jacob is stronger.

Jacob is taking this journey like a trooper, like a real champ.

Please follow Jacob’s Journey: Jacob’s Fighting ATRT Journey