#MasonStrong : Help Mason get Treatment

Our nephew, Mason Palmour, was enjoying the weekend, like a normal 16 year old, after playing his high school football game. He then started experiencing some twitching in his right pinky toe. By Sunday he was losing the ability to control his right foot. Mason was taken to the doctor on Monday, Oct. 25, 2021 where they recommended that he see a neurologist . We called that day, but they could not get an appointment until the following month.

 That night, Mason was in the shower when he felt a sharp pain in his head and noticed he was losing control of his right leg. He tried to make it out of the shower and down the hall to his fathers room. Before he could make it, Mason lost all control of his right leg and fell to the floor. He was began to lose strength in his right arm as well .

 His father rushed him to the nearest emergency room where he was taken in for an x-ray. The x-ray showed that Mason had a large mass in his brain and was rushed to Scottish Rite hospital in Atlanta ( CHOA ) .There, they took an MRI which showed mason had a large blood clot in the left side of his brain. Mason was admitted for three weeks and was given a countless number of tests to figure out where this clot came from. Every doctor was stumped and no conclusion was ever found. 

Mason went through extensive physical , occupational , and speech therapy and was released from the hospital on Nov. 17.  He then began a day treatment at a rehab center 5 days a week. Mason started his day rehab, but his headaches started to get worse as the week went on. 

On Nov. 24 , Mason had a bad headache and told his father that it felt different than the rest. Right away, his father took him back to CHOA to be checked out . He was admitted and they took another MRI, which showed that he had a tumor that had grown and was now visible from the blood clot .

 Mason was given the news about the tumor and put in a room while waiting for the doctors to come in the following day. As the night went on , Masons headache became more and more painful. It made him very weak and he started to lose control of the rest of his body. 

At 4:00 am, Thanksgiving morning, Mason became unresponsive in his fathers arms. Robert, Mason’s father, called for the nurses and doctors. Mason was then rushed in for emergency surgery to remove the bone flap so the brain could swell out and relieve the pressure. 

Mason was kept sedated for three days and was then taken back in for surgery to remove the tumor. The surgery went well, but his brain needed rest. By Dec. 5 , 2022,  Mason was taken off the respirator and had his eyes open and was able to smile. On Dec. 6, Mason was taken back into surgery to put the bone flap back in . Mason went through rehab there at CHOA and was released from the hospital on Dec. 28, 2022. Still in the middle of radiation treatment, he commuted 5 days a week for 6 weeks. 

Mason was diagnosed with a Grade 4 Glioblastoma. A glioblastoma is a highly malignant brain tumor that starts and grows in the brain. It is a very aggressive, fast-growing cancerous tumor. What makes this tumor even more dangerous, is it’s incessant ability to regrow even after treatment. 

 To give Mason the best chance at fighting this deadly cancer, he will also require chemotherapy. Chemo treatments should be starting within the next two weeks. In addition to the chemotherapy, Seraph Medical Center, in California, accepted Mason's case. This specialty practice uses Immunotherapy to help to fight cancer. "Immunotherapy is a new cutting-edge cancer treatment that leverages the cancer patient’s own immune system to fight the disease."(Seraph Medical, 2022)

We are doing everything we can to make it possible for Mason to have this treatment in California, as it is his best chance to survive this terrible disease.

 Unfortunately, however, immunotherapy can only occur in conjunction with chemotherapy treatments. With chemotherapy beginning in two weeks, we are getting close to the need for immunotherapy. To start the first part of Immunotherapy at Seraph Medical, we must have $133,498 of the total $167,426 bill. Insurance does not cover Immunotherapy as it is still considered experimental. This is a huge financial burden with a very immediate need. Please consider donating what you can to help Mason get the treatment he needs.

Prior to this illness, Mason was an enthusiastic 16 year old boy who loved fishing, hunting, and playing football for his high school team, the Dawsonville Tigers. He remains a kind-hearted, respectful, and fun-loving young man. He continues to exceed and surpass his doctor's and therapist's expectations for recovery and rehabilitation. He is a fighter. Please help us give him the chance to keep fighting. There is so much more of his life left to live. He will change lives; he already has.

If you cannot contribute financially but would still like to help, we ask that you please keep him in your prayers. Also, please get in touch with us if you or someone you know has any resources available for additional fundraising opportunities.

#MasonStrong