Noah Battle Brain Cancer

On May 11, 2023, we received the worst news imaginable. Our beautiful, 9-month-old, baby boy Noah was diagnosed with stage 3 brain cancer. To say our world was turned upside down is an understatement. Our lives had come to a stop that day.

Hi, we are Noah’s parents Josh and Marina Sanchez. I am a Firefighter for the City of Miami and Marina is a medical technologist for Memorial Healthcare. It broke our hearts to see his innocent spirit now burdened with this cruel disease, but Noah has been fighting and beating it since day one. He is truly our little warrior.

The first MRI detected a tumor on Noah’s brain and a “sliver of something” down his spine which looked to be a metastasis. At this point, the medical team could not confirm what type of tumor it was, the only thing they confirmed was that the tumor was cancerous, and a biopsy was needed after the surgery to determine the type. It was explained to us that a full removal of the tumor was not likely, because it was too connected to the nerves. The example they used was, it would be like taking “bubblegum out of hair”.

Leading up to the surgery our family, friends, and people we didn’t even know formed a unit of prayer warriors that was unshakable. After a week of steroids and an army praying for him, the day came for his procedure. Expecting a long procedure, we prepared for a difficult day only to have it go better than anyone thought. Not only was it a shorter procedure, but they removed 100% of the tumor. The neurosurgeon said she was surprised to see the tumor was completely detached. God is Good! (Miracle #1)

Noah’s recovery from surgery was difficult but this was the best outcome we could have hoped for. Our days consisted of everything and anything we could do to keep him as comfortable as possible. Seeing your baby laying in a hospital bed hooked up to tubes down his nose to help feed him, in his head to help drain the fluid buildup and pressure, constantly connected to IVs, wires, and machines was heartbreaking. Not being able to pick him up every time he cried was torture. As Noah got better, we did too, and when he smiled for the first time since the surgery, it brought us so much joy. As we waited for the pathology report to arrive, we were happy to have some distractions along the way. Luckily the Miami Heat and Florida Panthers were making their amazing playoff runs and Noah loved watching all of it. Those games and Ms. Rachel would be the only things that would soothe him at times. God Bless Ms. Rachel IYKYK.

The pathology report took about 3 weeks to arrive and confirmed Noah’s brain tumor is an Ependymoma, a rare and aggressive tumor that originates in the Central Nervous System. The best treatment for this tumor is complete removal. SUCCESS! Now it was time for a second MRI to confirm the “sliver of something” on the spine. Consulting with the oncology team who walked us through all the scenarios and outcomes, they explained if the MRI showed metastasis to the spine, they would need to do chemo because his little body wouldn't be able to handle general radiation. Percentage-wise, they said Chemo had a very low success rate for his type of cancer. It would be a year of treatment, A LOT of side effects, and if it was unsuccessful, Noah would have a life expectancy of about 2-3 years. Proton radiation therapy, on the other hand, was a 6-week therapy with some possible side effects and a 60-70% chance of curing the cancer for good.

After a week of waiting for the MRI appointment, with this information constantly in our heads, and never-ending prayers from Noah’s prayer army, the MRI results revealed the “sliver of something” was not cancer, in fact, there was nothing detected at all, thank you God for miracle #2. After a long month in the hospital, we were finally discharged.

Noah’s doctors all agreed the best follow-up treatment to surgery is Proton radiation therapy, a 6-week therapy of high energy beams focused on the area where the tumor originated. He is currently receiving treatment Monday – Friday and is sedated daily because it’s vital he does not move even a millimeter due to the powerful strength of the beams. He is experiencing some side effects such as hair loss and irritation at the site, nausea, and decreased appetite but all of these go away over time, and he has been dealing with everything like a champ. While there is a possibility of long-term side effects such as learning disabilities, hearing loss, necrosis of the brain, and even redevelopment of other cancers, we remain faithful that God has great things in store for Noah’s life. He will have check-ups for the rest of his life to monitor his health and to make sure the tumor doesn’t come back.

The financial burden associated with his medical expenses and ongoing treatments has been overwhelming. This is where we humbly ask for your support, we have created this GoFundMe campaign to raise funds that will directly contribute to Noah’s medical expenses, transportation, and house bills. Since Marina has had to stop working, we’ve been struggling to pay with one income.

Throughout this entire process, Noah has maintained his beautiful smile, melting the hearts of everyone who meets him. He is truly incredible and our hero at such a young age. We are almost at the home stretch and will be ringing the “cancer-free” bell soon. We are extremely grateful for your love, prayers, and any financial assistance you can provide during this challenging time. We can’t thank our wonderful support team enough and ask that you continue to pray for Noah. We are truly blessed.

We will keep everyone updated on Noah’s progress. Thank you for being on this journey with us.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Josh and Marina