Michael's Fund

Michael is our first and only child. He seemed entirely healthy in every way until last June, at about 10-months old, when he started tilting his head to the right. Our pediatrician suspected something serious, and within a few days Michael had an MRI. We were told that the head tilt was being caused by a large tumor pressing against his brainstem—which was diagnosed as an ependymoma. Fortunately it was operable, although very difficult to get to, and the wonderful neurosurgery team at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles fully removed the tumor. There are some deficits from the surgery that Michael is still dealing with, mainly due to nerve damage that affects his hearing, eyes, and face, but this is typical and much of it should heal over time. Without question, the surgery was very successful.

We can’t possibly explain how scared, confused, shocked, trapped, and angry we felt during these first few weeks as we processed all this while Michael was recovering from the surgery. But at some point we accepted this as a new reality, and have pushed ahead and made it through five months of further treatment.

The tumor would surely grow back if we didn’t continue treatment with intense chemotherapy and radiation, so this was a relatively easy decision. Michael underwent four rounds of chemo, with the last one being a “mini” bone-marrow transplant. His radiation therapy began during the first week of December, which will continue daily for about six weeks. Ependymoma is not very responsive to chemotherapy, but radiation has shown to have fairly good results when the tumor has been removed—the prognosis can be as high as 60-70%.

Despite all that he has been through, Michael is doing remarkably well. He is incredibly tough. We are also managing pretty well, which has become easier as Michael has felt better. Colleen has maintained her job working as a graphic designer for Frederick’s of Hollywood, and I take care of Michael during the day. I was nearing the end of my graduate studies at USC in music when Michael was diagnosed, but it was necessary to temporarily withdraw from the program, as well as stop teaching, in order to care for him. 

This is a difficult time for our family, both emotionally and financially. We are proud that Michael has been named a TFF Kid with the Talbert Family Foundation, and are grateful for their help and support as we work through this. And we truly thank you for the prayers and financial help to get us through this time. 

Steve and Colleen Gates