Bennett's Story
Treating brain cancer. Innovative care for a fragile 2-year-old patient.
Two-year-old Bennett was having trouble with balance and walking. When his parents took him for an examination, they learned the devastating news: he had brain cancer.
Initial treatment with chemotherapy was not effective. Radiology is typically ruled out for patients as young as Bennett because it can interfere with the growth and development they are undergoing.
The physicians at Children’s National tapped into their base of research to find an alternative. They realized that a drug treatment used for adults with pancreatic cancer might work for Bennett. It did.
His mother, Jen, credits the treatment with saving her son’s life. “If it weren’t for the deep basis in research, innovative treatment, and novel ideas at Children’s National, I don’t think Bennett would be here today.”
She sees a continuing need for such research and treatment. “Every day, there are new kids being diagnosed. Those beds are always full.”