‘We’re hoping for a miracle’; local 6-year-old battling rare brain cancer

A Cape Coral kindergartener is in the fight of his life. His battle with brain cancer and its experimental treatment may help him and others in the future.

Just a few months ago, Banyan Hill was enjoying life like any other kid his age.

“He’s 6 years old, and he loves to be outside. He was always a very active kid. He likes to fish. He likes soccer,” said his mom, Amanda Powell.

When he started limping, his mom took him to a doctor. More visits followed as things got worse.

“He had the left leg that he wasn’t able to use, the left arm that he wasn’t able to use, and the left side of his face was drooping. He was drooling,” Powell said.

Banyan was admitted to Golisano Children’s Hospital for testing. What they found wasn’t just bad. It was terrible.

You can’t do any form of surgery to resect this type of tumor because it’s in such a critical location Dr. Kelly Sawcyzn, pediatric oncologist

“He has DIPG brain cancer. It’s a very rare, very aggressive cancer,” Powell said wiping away tears.

“DIPG is a specific type of glioblastoma that occurs in the brainstem, which is the part of the brain that controls your essential breathing center, your heart rate control of all the essential functions that keep us alive,” explained Dr. Kelly Sawcyzn.

Sawczyn is a pediatric oncologist and part of Banyan’s care team.

“What’s most problematic about this particular tumor is its location,” said Sawczyn, “because you can’t do any form of surgery to resect this type of tumor because it’s in such a critical location.”

The cancer grew like a weed in just a few weeks. With treatment and luck, life expectancy may be up to two years. Even with standard radiation, DIPG tumors continue to grow.

Between 150 and 300 cases are diagnosed each year in the U.S. because doctors can’t even biopsy the brain stem, the cancer is mostly studied after death, but Banyan’s case has a slight deviation that offers a sliver of hope.

“Part of his tumor actually extended a little bit beyond that brainstem, so he was able to have a biopsy done,” Sawcyzn said, “so we are learning something from him, and that may benefit him and other patients in the future.”

So in addition to radiation, Banyan takes a daily chemo pill. Lee Health’s Children’s Oncology Group matched him to a clinical trial.

While his friends from school wrapped his room with well-wishes, he is back in the hospital. The treatments are tough, but he is also a tough little boy.

“We talked about when enough is going to be enough with him,” his mom said, “because that’s something that we have to think about.”

For now, they are circling him with love. “We’re hoping for a miracle,” Powell said.

As doctors learn more about this cancer, Banyan is teaching those around him a lesson in life.

Banyan is one of four kids in the family. His parents are juggling caring for them along with tending to him. They have also battled their insurance company to cover the cost of treatment.

Since we shot this story, family members have told WINK News that treatment has not been successful, so they are removing him from medical therapies and taking him home for hospice care.