Meet Avery, who bravely faced the unimaginable
When Avery was diagnosed with a brain tumor, his care team at Children’s Health℠ became a deep source of strength — and lasting memories.
Avery never imagined his prom would take place in a hospital, let alone that he’d be escorted by a therapy dog named Rex.
“Going to prom was a magical experience,” Avery said. “I had no idea what to expect when I walked in. But my care team immediately eased my nerves by having me walk through the room with Rex by my side.”
Organized by Child Life, the prom at Children’s Health ensures teenage patients don’t miss out on fun milestones because of their hospitalizations. The event is part of Child Life’s efforts to make sure patients can be kids and have a sense of normalcy while at the hospital.
Avery dined and danced with other Children’s Health patients, plus a group of nurses and child life specialists who went above and beyond to make sure the event was a total blast.
The genuine love and care he experienced that day had a healing, long-lasting impact on 15-year-old Avery.
“I felt so comfortable being at Children’s Health. Everyone was always so kind and made me feel like I belonged,” he said. “I wouldn’t be here today without them.”
But before he made the memories that he’ll remember fondly for the rest of his life, Avery and his family experienced the impossible when their lives were suddenly turned upside down.
A shocking diagnosis
In the summer of 2023, Avery started to get really bad headaches every morning. They were so bad he didn’t want to go to football practice.
“I can’t even describe the pain; it was so terrible. I thought they were migraines,” he said.
Avery's vision then started to decline, so an optometrist gave him a new glasses prescription. When he started throwing up, physicians said it was only a stomach virus.
But Avery’s mom, LaSonya, wasn’t satisfied. Avery had lost 20 pounds, and her mother’s intuition told her to take him to the trusted pediatrician who’d known her son his whole life.
Their pediatrician pieced together Avery's symptoms and ordered an emergency CT scan.
Avery will never forget the words that came out of his pediatrician’s mouth. They had discovered a mass inside of Avery’s brain, and they wanted to rush him to Children’s Health immediately.
“It was shocking — so shocking that I wasn’t able to process it until much later,” Avery said.
Another opportunity for Avery
Just 90 minutes later, physicians at Children’s Health prepped Avery for emergency brain surgery to remove the spinal fluid that had built up in his brain.
He then received three rounds of chemotherapy to get rid of the cancerous part of his mixed malignant germ cell tumor, a tumor that’s part cancerous and part non-cancerous.
However, throughout his chemotherapy treatment, the non-cancerous part of his tumor doubled in size. Physicians determined Avery would need additional treatment, including brain surgery, radiation and proton therapy and two eye surgeries to help restore his vision.
Avery felt overwhelmed, especially when considering the amount of time he’d have to spend in the hospital. But in re-telling this unimaginable sequence of events, Avery and his mom are remarkably calm and fueled by gratitude.
I thank God that he didn’t take my baby from me, that he allowed me to have another opportunity to love on him. And I thank the Children’s Health team who helped give me a second chance with Avery.
— LaSonya, Children's Health parent
The memories that remain
One of the hardest parts of Avery's treatment was being unable to leave his hospital room. That's when he felt most lonely.
But visits from the hospital’s pet therapy dogs and child life specialists or assistants helped pass the time, and he felt grateful each time they stopped by his room. Services like these are among the offerings at Children’s Health supported by donors.
“The pet therapy dogs brought peacefulness and compassion,” Avery said. “And the fun activities the Child life specialists organized reminded me that there was a world outside my room.”
As he got healthier and stronger, he had something else to look forward to: Camp Esperanza, a summer camp for kids treated at Children’s Medical Center Dallas.
“Camp brought everything into perspective for me. It feels like one big family, which really helps everyone feel less lonely,” Avery said.
The refrain to a song he learned at camped will be forever etched into his brain:
And when you are home, just think of us here. And when you try hard, we’ll always be near. And even when you’re not at camp, it’s still in your heart. And you’ll always be one of our kids. You’ll always be important somewhere.
The power of donations
Avery and his mom feel the care they received at Children’s Health was remarkable, and they know so much of what they experienced is made possible by generous donors.
Their time at the hospital allowed them to learn about the different things fueled by donations, such as research initiatives to discover new treatments, free offerings for patient families — and the new Dallas pediatric campus, a joint investment with UT Southwestern Medical Center.
The new, transformative campus will be a destination for leading-edge patient care and emerging treatments for more kids like Avery and provide the infrastructure to transform health care for the region, and nation’s, most complex pediatric patients.
“I'm so glad that Children's Health is expanding because I think everyone should have the opportunity to experience this level of care,” LaSonya said. “It was so comforting for me to know Avery was in such good hands because I was not able to financially walk away from my job.”
As North Texas faces unprecedented growth, and the health care needs of the region increase in complexity, Children’s Health is building its new campus for the future generations of kids — but the health system can’t do it alone, it relies on the support of its community to fulfill its mission of making life better for children.
When it was time to go home, Avery felt relieved. But he also cried because he knew he would miss the physicians, nurses and dogs he'd come to love so much. His experience shaped his own message for donors:
“I’d like to thank anyone even considering a donation. They help make things a whole lot easier for anyone who has to go through something like I had to go through,” he said. “Your donations help bring joy during hard times, and that really, really helps.”
Life after hospitalization
Now on the other side of his cancer treatment, Avery is happy to be back at school, hanging out with friends and spending more time outside. He hopes his story can help others feel less alone — and to know that it’s OK to lean on your care team, both mentally and physically.
I remember the feeling of finding out I had a brain tumor, and my whole world was just rocked. I’d like to help let other kids know that while it seems so scary, good times are ahead. You just have to get through it, know that it’s worth fighting for and trust that your care team will absolutely be there for you.
— Avery, Children's Health Patient
His mom also has gained a lot of perspective through Avery’s cancer treatment and letting his care team support her, Avery and the many family members who were part of their “entourage” in the hospital.
“We go through life rushing and taking things for granted,” she said. “Avery’s brain cancer stopped me dead in my tracks. It really took a lot out of me, but it also opened my eyes.”
Meet more Children's Health patients
Read more patient stories like Avery’s and meet our Patient Ambassadors to learn how Children's Health makes life better for children.
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