Hunter’s fight for life

To start this off I want to explain a little back story. Hunter and Cortlin met at Jenks Middle School and started dating their senior year of high school. They are inseparable together and have been by each others side since the beginning. Hunter and Cortlin got engaged in 2019 and were so excited for what the future had in store for them. 

Hunter is the sweetest, most fun, loving guy who would give the shirt off his back to someone in need. Everyone who knows him, loves him… prepare yourself because what you are about to read is simply devastating.. 

This past Thanksgiving Hunter had not been himself.. Hunters hearing in his left ear started going out.. Not thinking too much of it Hunter and Cortlin were just aware he needed to get his hearing checked out. Then mid December, Hunter woke up extremely sick and they had assumed it was the flu and would run its course. He was nonstop vomiting for 5 days straight. He started feeling better so they thought they were in the clear… Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Hunter really struggled with his hearing and was having facial numbness. On December 30th, Hunter wanted to take Cortlin to Rhema for a carriage ride through the Christmas lights. While they were there Hunters balance was very off and he was veering to the right side. Within the next few hours after going to Rhema, Hunters hearing went completely out in his left ear. On December 31st he was nonstop vomiting again and Cortlin was extremely worried. on January 1st the right side of his face started drooping (facial paralysis) and his speech started to slur. They went to the Emergency room at St. Francis, Tulsa and this is when Hunter was diagnosed with acoustic neuromas/neurofibromatosis type 2/vestibular schwannomas.. Which is nerve related. He has two tumors on each side of his cerebellum right on top of spine and another one on the left side into his pituitary gland. These three are non cancerous. The doctors were not able to do surgery in Tulsa so they referred them to a neurosurgeon in Oklahoma City. They met with the neurosurgeon (he has zero facial function) as well as eye doctor (his eyes won’t shut fully and they are worried of blindness). At this point in time Hunter had been in and out of hospitals and has seen multiple different specialist. Then on January 18th they did a hearing test which showed there is no hearing remaining. The doctors quickly decided to admit him into the hospital in Oklahoma City for another MRI (from brain down his spine) and the results of this MRI showed many tumors throughout his body.. At this point in time we are not sure if any from this MRI are cancerous or not. On Friday January 19th, at about 11pm while sitting in the hospital Hunter yelled to Cortlin and told her he could not see at all out of his left eye. They ordered an emergency MRI and it showed the tumor around his eye had gotten bigger. At 2am the doctors did emergency brain surgery to try and save Hunters vision. The surgery salvaged some and still waiting for more improvement. They are currently in the process of getting to Dallas in hopes that he’s a candidate for an auditory brain stem implant and/or a cochlear implant. At this time we are waiting for next steps…Hunter and Cortlins life together as they knew before will most likely never look the same… and they can’t do this alone.. please stand with us as we continue this journey. 

Hunter will not be able to go back to work and will need Cortlin by his side constantly. All of their expenses are adding up (medical expenses, utilities, house payment, transportation, travel expenses, etc etc) due to being out of work and not knowing when life will be more “normal” again. Hunter and Cortlin are both very hard working but with so much uncertainty ahead of there little family… they can’t do this alone. THANK YOU for supporting.

-Due to respect for Hunter we are not posting any recent hospital photos at this time..

Our prayer: Psalm 116:1-2

"I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as l live."

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UPDATE 1:

Hunter fell on Thursday January 25th early in the morning.. waking Cortlin up, he had to have another emergency cat scan. Friday morning, they had to do a spinal tap and his spinal pressure was extremely high. Due to the high pressure, Hunter had to have a shunt placed on the right side, that same Friday afternoon. They were monitoring him like crazy. Normally patients who just get a shunt placed they get to go home the next day. But because of Hunters situation he had to be monitored for the next 3 days..

With the tumor in his eye.. at first the doctors were not concerned about it at all. It wasn’t even on there radar. But because it grew, it affected Hunter’s eyesight and they had to go in immediately for emergency brain surgery to get it removed… this is what we are worried about with the rest of the tumors in his body. That one minute they are not concerned about a tumor and the next minute it could be causing irreversible damage and he has to have another immediate emergency surgery.

Hunter was able to come home from Oklahoma City on Monday January 29th after begging doctors that he was not benefiting from being there. He was not eating, not sleeping, just staring at the ceiling for hours on end and not getting any better. He needed to be home in his own bed before they headed to Dallas on Tuesday. He did okay at home on Monday night, was able to shower and see the pups.

Hunter and Cortlin got to Dallas Tuesday evening, and appointment with neuro ophthalmologist was on the morning of Wednesday, January 31st. He had an exam for insurance purposes first and then they were sent back out to the waiting room before seeing the doctor. While they were in the waiting area, Cortlin got a call from the PA in OKC, and she told them that they received the pathology report from the tumor that was removed from his left eye, and it came back as cancerous, and very aggressive. They think it is some kind of sarcoma.. The doctors have partially ruled out Neurofibromatosis and do not think it is a genetic disease.

At this time, the doctors do not know about the other tumors or what treatments will be necessary for those. So there was really no reason to see the neuro ophthalmologist as they are not able to place the brainstem implants for hearing at this time and will revisit that option later.

They got home from Dallas Wednesday evening.. and when they got home Hunter seemed to be declining very quickly. They decided they definitely needed a second opinion because of how slow the doctors in OKC were trying to get things done.

Yesterday, Monday February 5th, Cortlin and Hunter had an appointment for a second opinion at St. John’s in Tulsa. During this appointment the doctor was astonished that the shunt was placed incorrectly. It was not releasing ANY pressure at all.. and because of this, Hunter could have gone to sleep at any point and not have ever woken back up. This doctor at St. John’s was also very shocked that the doctors in OKC hadn’t done anything up to this point to help Hunter. This doctor completely put his life on hold and decided to operate immediately.

As you can imagine we are all devastated and incredibly worried and scared. Hunter as well. Not really sure what the future holds. We are just trying to keep him in good spirits, and with family and friends as much as possible.

Please anyone and everyone, stand with us as we continue to walk this fight alongside Cortlin and Hunter!!

I will be updating again after surgeries!

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FINAL UPDATE:

Tuesday- After surgery Hunter was extremely uncomfortable.

Late Thursday night (February 8th) all of Hunters vision went out. They did another emergency MRI but at this point in time he was exhausted and in an unbearable amount of discomfort/ pain. He begged and begged for no more surgeries and no more treatments. Cortlin and his family discussed this with Hunters team of doctors and with there not being much hope left, they wanted to honor Hunters wishes… so the nurses made him comfortable and we all stayed by his side until his last breath. Today, Friday February 9th at 2:35pm.

Please PLEASE pray for Cortlin and Hunters family as they try and navigate through this extremely devastating time.