Surgery to remove boy’s brain tumor a success
Dakota Renney, 7, underwent surgery at Children’s Hospital on July 31 to remove a tumor from his brain.
“He’s cancer free!” That was the message from Arianna Becker, when she learned the surgery her son, Dakota Renney, 7, underwent on July 31 to remove a tumor from his brain was successful.
The Exeter Township boy went to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Tuesday morning with his parents, Matthew Renney and Arianna Becker, to get the results of tests on the tumor.
Becker said Dakota has handled his medical ordeal like a champ.
“He was more anxious about getting the surgery than he was today,” Becker said. “He’s just glad to be out of the hospital.”
Becker said Dakota’s doctors diagnosed his tumor as being a ganglioglioma, a very rare brain tumor that normally is benign but can turn cancerous if not treated promptly.
Most gangliogliomas grow slowly and are considered benign, according to the National Institutes of Health Center for Genetic and Rare Diseases.
About 10% of gangliogliomas may grow more rapidly and become malignant, meaning the tumor affects the surrounding brain tissue. The main treatment for ganglioglioma is removal of the entire tumor during surgery.
Becker said Dakota’s doctors told her there is a chance the tumor could return.
“Hopefully it won’t, but he’s back at CHOP every three months for an MRI to make sure,” Becker said. “Routine appointments will gradually drop to every six months and then once a year until he is 20.”
The tumor was discovered after Dakota had two seizures in early July. After the second, more serious seizure, Dakota was left unconscious and with weakness on his left side. Doctors did an MRI and discovered the mass growing in the right side of the motor cortex of the boy’s brain.
The motor cortex controls how the brain directs our movements and actions.
Dakota has no physical and cognitive side effects from the operation. His recovery was so complete that his doctors sent him home less than 24 hours after the surgery so he could recuperate in the comfort of his own home.
Arianna said the only apparent impact of the surgery is that his doctors want him to wear a hat outside during the day so his scar doesn’t get sunburned.