WJHG - Medical Minute - Headlines

Local Teen with Brainstem Tumor Fights for Her Home

By: Elizabeth Prann Email
Posted: Mon 9:14 PM, Sep 28, 2009

A young Panama City family needs your help.

The family of four fell on unexpected times shortly after a devastating diagnosis.

"[Amber's] tumor is the worst location you could ever have - in a brainstem," said Neil Howard whose teenage daughter has a brain tumor. "Out of all the pediatric tumors you could get there is only 1 in 4 percent chance [Amber] could have gotten a Glioma," her mother, Shawn said.

At the time doctors found an asymmetrical tumor resting on 12-year old Amber's brainstem. It's about the size of two sugar cubes.

Doctors went in last year but could only feasibly remove 25 percent without risking Amber's life but today 20 percent has already returned.

"You never dream it would happen to you. Now we are the people on TV," said Shawn.

To make times a little more tough the family has one more challenge to overcome, their mortgage payments.

"Since we started chemotherapy, only one of us has been able to work and that's Neil. We're at the point where we've been served with foreclosure papers. Here we are with a child that is sick and now we're in the midst of saying financially where do we go from here?" said Shawn.

The Howard family is fascinatingly optimistic, each one picking up the other when he or she is down.

"When she has a good day, that's when we charge our batteries!"

And if it's one thing none of them is lost is hope.

Amber is living proof.

"She said to me, God came to me mom. He told me, it's not my time. But I said, you can't remember Amber, you were asleep. She said no Mom, I remember! He came over, God came over and he talked to me, he said everything would be OK, it's just not my time," Shawn said.

Amber must be home-schooled because of her vulnerable immune system.

The family also must drive her to Gainesville once a week for her chemotherapy which is more than 250 miles away.

If you'd like to help the Howard there is a fund set up at People First Bank.

It's under the benefit of Amber Howard, or check out Amber's web page: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amberhoward


Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.
powered by Disqus

Medical News

  • Report questioning salt guidelines riles heart experts
    An unusual medical brawl erupted on Tuesday when the influential Institute of Medicine issued a report questioning the basis of years of advice for Americans to cut their salt intake in half.
  • Chris Christie's weight-loss procedure doesn't always work

    New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie revealed that he's had gastric-band weight-loss surgery, which experts say has the least amount of short-term risk but also yields the least amount of weight loss.New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie revealed that he's had gastric-band weight-loss surgery, which experts say has the least amount of short-term risk but also yields the least amount of weight loss.


  • Caffeinated gum raises health buzz

    A new line of caffeinated chewing gum is causing jitters among health advocates and prompting federal officials to take a new look at the proliferation of jolt-infused foods, including those marketed to children and teens.A new line of caffeinated chewing gum is causing jitters among health advocates and prompting federal officials to take a new look at the proliferation of jolt-infused foods, including those marketed to children and teens.


  • Dr. Oz's tips for losing those last 10 pounds

    Stress, the slowing of metabolism of middle age, and hormone changes after having a baby are three main reasons why many people see the numbers on the scale going up. Dr. Mehmet Oz shares tips on how to shed those final 10 pounds. Stress, the slowing of metabolism of middle age, and hormone changes after having a baby are three main reasons why many people see the numbers on the scale going up. Dr. Mehmet Oz shares tips on how to shed those final 10 pounds.


  • How First Lady won over Miss. on school lunches
    Despite its deeply red political leanings, it was Mississippi that early on embraced the first lady’s ideas about healthy food, and was the site where Mrs. Obama kicked off a two day, three-city tour touting the three-year anniversary of her “Let’s Move” initiative, which encourages kids to get and stay fit.
  • Anger may raise heart attack risk, study finds
    Bottling up emotions is thought to harm both mind and body, but a new study suggests that the opposite extreme may be no better.
  • Just one daily soda can raise diabetes risk
    Drinking just one 12-ounce soda a day may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, a new study from Europe suggests.
  • Gut bugs linked to heart attacks, strokes
    Thousands of heart attack victims every year have none of the notorious risk factors before their crisis - not high cholesterol, not unhealthy triglycerides.
  • 12 school football players die each year, study finds
    Each year in the U.S. an average of a dozen high school and college football players die during practices and games, according to a new study that finds heart conditions, heat and other non-traumatic causes of death are twice as common as injury-related ones.
  • Chelation little help for heart disease: study
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Removing metals from the body through a controversial treatment has little effect on the long-term health of people who've previously suffered a heart attack, according to the results of a government-funded trial released Tuesday.
8195 Front Beach Road Panama City Beach, FL 32407 Station: 850-234-7777 News: 850-230-5221 Fax: 850-233-6647
Gray Television, Inc. - Copyright © 2002-2013 - Designed by Gray Digital Media - Powered by Clickability
User Agent: CCBot/2.0 - 62323182