5-Year-Old With Brain Cancer Finishes Kids’ Race at Bucket-List Event

Runner's World ^ | September 5, 2019 | Hailey Middlebrook

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

When Peyton Dennis told his mom, Katie Ann, that he wanted to run in the kids’ race at the Pottersville Sod Slingers lawn mower race weekend in Pottersville, Michigan, on August 24, she wasn’t too surprised.

“Peyton’s always been an active kid. He wants to do what all the other kids are doing,” Katie Ann, who lives with her family in Ionia, Michigan, told Runner’s World. “When he found out there was a race that weekend, he insisted on doing it—even though he has trouble walking now, let alone running.”

At the end of February, 5-year-old Peyton was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), an aggressive form of brain cancer without a cure. Katie Ann said she first suspected something was wrong when Peyton—who’s one of four children—began to show the same symptoms, such as headaches and nausea, as her older son, Hunter, displayed when he suffered from a brain disease in 2014.

Luckily, Hunter was able to undergo brain surgery and recover from the sickness, but Peyton’s cancer is inoperable. To help fight the disease, his doctors are treating him with a combination or chemotherapy and an experimental drug, Katie Ann said.

While she hopes that the treatment will help, right now, she’s focused on making sure Peyton is as happy as he can be.

[Gay State Conservative]

I worked for 20+ years in a big city ER. I've seen more suffering and death than I care to recall. However,our hospital was located literally next door to a major,world famous,pediatric hospital so,as a result,our hospital didn't have a Pediatric Service.

As difficult as it is watching an 85 year old...or a 25 year year old...die,there's no way in Creation that I could work with sick kids.

[Islander7]

I worked weekends in NICU at Oschner Hospital in New Orleans during the height of the 90s crack cocaine epidemic. Did 2 sixteen hour shifts Saturday and Sunday for a year. You don’t want to be responsible for the care of 6 addicted premies. It will rip your heart out. I’m still not recovered from the trauma.

Best wishes to the little man in the article. Life can be cruel.

[wardaddy]

I’m not watching that on purpose

No way

[darkangel82]

I couldn’t either, after one year I would have little remaining sanity left.

[beelzepug]

I’m in my seventies. I always tell my wife, if I ever won one of those Publisher’s Clearing House multi-millions drawings, the lion’s share of it would go to St. Judes and the Shriners hospitals. I don’t know how anybody can look at those kids and not be moved.