The surgeries, the fears, the tears, and the prayers have been what life has been about since the Redman family found out that their son, Jaymison, had been diagnosed with Pineoblastoma nearly two years ago.
The childhood cancer often grows in a part of the brain known as the pineal gland and, after fluid builds up in the skull, the symptoms are headaches, nausea, and vision problems. Jaymison, in fact, suffered from all the above before his mother, Cirstin, took him to the emergency room puzzled about what could be wrong.
“This battle of Jaymison’s has been everything we have concentrated on since he was life-flighted back on Sept. 25, 2020. He was having some mild headaches and some issues with his vision, but that was at the same time we had changed his eyeglass prescription, so we just thought it was something that was expected,” the mother explained. “But then over a three-week period everything just got worse, and we ended up taking him to the emergency room, and then he got on the helicopter, and off he went to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh.
“We did not know what to expect,” Redman admitted. “All kinds of things were running through our minds, but I guess we didn’t expect cancer for some reason. I had never heard of Pineoblastoma, but when I read about it and read about the symptoms, things started to make sense.”
The doctors explained the course of action, a process that included brain surgery to remove the tumor that had formed inside the young boy’s head. The prognosis, though, was something never truly defined because of the vast amount of unknowns involving the differences from case to case and the constantly evolving methods of treatment.
Finally, though, this 11-year-old reached the point in his battle where recovery scans were ordered, and nearly three months ago the tests revealed no signs of the disease. Despite the fact his second round of scans has been ordered for May 4, the Redmans recently took a trip to Disney World.
“Jaymison is feeling really well, and during our trip to Disney World he walked eight miles the first day, eight more miles the second day, and then on the third day, he decided he needed the wheelchair,” Redman recalled. “We went o Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and then we went to Universal for two days. It was a really great trip, and I know he had a blast.
“I think the whole family needed the trip because of the roller coaster childhood cancer can be,” she admitted. “We know we’re far from out of the woods, but Jaymison has fought back so hard, and somehow he’s kept a positive attitude. I don’t know how, to be honest, but he’s an amazing kid who just seems so determined to beat this disease so he can put it behind him.”
A Child’s Haunt
Many residents of the Upper Ohio Valley did not have many facts about childhood cancer until they were introduced to Hines Rotriga and the Hope for Hines initiative that has been headquartered at Miklas Meat Market in the Edgington Lane area of Wheeling for the past decade.
Shortly following his very first Christmas, his parents, Kein and Debbie, took Hines to the emergency room because, as his mother explained, “Something just wasn’t right. He wasn’t the same little boy anymore.”
It did not take long for doctors to determine Hines was battling Neuroblastoma, a form of childhood cancer that first forms on nerve cells before forming cancerous tumors in several areas of the body. Hones has been cancer-free for several years and continues to undergo scans to make sure the disease remains at bay. His parents and relatives have continued to operate the Hope for Hines Foundation so they may award funds to help local families fight back against similar diseases.
The Redman family has been one of them, and that is one reason why Cirstin works to raise awareness each and every day.
“Listen, I know we have a ways to go with Jaymison, but I do want to raise awareness whenever I can because there are so many children that are suffering from cancer in this valley,” Redman said. “I don’t know if you really can get a grasp of many kids are being treated right now until you are put smack-dab in the middle of it. We see it firsthand, and here in the Ohio Valley, I feel like I am hearing a new name every week of a child that’s been diagnosed with some kind of cancer, some kind of that horrible illness.
“And the kids need us, the adults, to raise the awareness because they can’t do it themselves. They are fighting for their lives right now, so the parents and any adults have to raise awareness because it feels like everyone I know now knows a child battling cancer right now. It’s just horrible,” she insisted. “When I was younger? When I was a kid, I didn’t know another kid who was battling cancer. None.”
Are there “cancer cluster” areas within the Upper Ohio Valley? Is the village of Bethlehem one of them? Nothing has been proven to suggest such thoughts to be true, and Redman prays that is not the case.
“I have not heard any proof, and I’ve not seen any evidence that this situation is about where we live, and I really hope it’s not that because I really like living here. I really like the valley and the people who live here. It’s really a special place and a great place to raise your kids,” the loving mother said. “With that said, there sure a lot of cases in this area, and no one seems to really know why. I’m talking about 4-year-olds and 2-year-olds and that, too, just isn’t right. It’s just so sad.”
Survival Rate
In the very beginning when Pineoblastoma was officially recognized as a form of childhood cancer, the disease was especially deadly. These days, however, methods of treatment have been adapted so often that a child’s life has been extended, and a chance for a full recovery is now possible.
It is that end goal that allows for Jaymison to plan for the rest of his life and permits Cirstin, her husband, Bill, and son, Jayden, to embrace the hope that the 11-year-old’s “when I get older” dream may actually come true.
“Jaymison knows and understands quite a bit when it comes to his illness and his treatments, and he sees a counselor, and she is well aware of what he wants to talk about when they see each other,” Redman explained. “They work through a lot of the topics he wants to know about, and I get involved with the conversations, too, so we can all be on the same page. His doctors at UPMC Children’s are really transparent with us, and they word everything so a child can understand what is going on.
“He knows how the bad things work, and he knows what he needs to do to get better, and despite everything he’s experienced so far, he has a very enthusiastic outlook,” she said. “Jaymison is now almost a teenager, and his optimism amazes me. Meanwhile, the family just makes sure every day that he’s feeling better and better, and not just with his brain health. We do what we can to make sure he is a happy child despite what he’s gone through the last couple of years.”
So, an astronaut? A doctor? A teacher? What is it Jaymison Redman dreams to be when this battle is only but a memory and a chance for a full life is his new reality?
“He goes back and forth a lot about what he wants to be when he grows up. He likes technology a lot, and he likes drawing a lot. Oh, and he loves video games,” Redman said with a broad smile. “But I believe his heart really is in his art, so I just let him do what he wishes because he’s a very talented young man. No matter what, I know it’s going to be an amazing process to watch.
“I expect Jaymison to chase his dreams, whatever they are from one day to the next, but I know he’ll figure it out, and I know he’ll be amazing at whatever he chooses,” she added. “He has a giant heart for everyone, and that may be his best quality.”
