TRUMANSBURG -- T-Burg Mini Golf is hosting a benefit Saturday to raise money for the family of a 4-year old boy diagnosed with a rare inoperable brain tumor.
Ten percent of the day's profits will go to help pay for the family's medical expenses. The event is open to the public and will include a chicken barbecue, baked goods, raffles, a bounce house and music.
On March 17, Brian and Debbie Houck, formerly of Groton, took their son Evyn to the doctors because he wasn't feeling well. "His balance and eating were off," said Brian Houck, who worked as the electronics and entertainment specialist for Target in Lansing before moving with his family to Virginia.
"We took him to the hospital and the doctors immediately sent him to the emergency room for an MRI scan," Houck recalled. There, doctors found a malignant tumor called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), situated on Evyn's brain stem that cannot be operated on due to its proximity to critical nerve functions. Classified as fatal, a large percentage of children with DIPG don't live beyond nine months with only a few surviving a year or more, according to the American Brain Tumor Association.
After his diagnosis, Evyn's health deteriorated rapidly. "He went from this active kid who loves superheroes and playing outside to being unable to walk or lift his head," Brian Houck said. His vision also became impaired, a source of frustration for Evyn. "We were losing our little boy," he continued. Evyn's mother, who had transferred from the Ithaca PetSmart to one in Charlottesville, Virginia, took unpaid medical leave so she and her husband, a stay-at-home dad, could attend to Evyn full-time.
After seeing a handful of specialists, Evyn was given radiation therapy, which he responded well to. Most of his symptoms have since subsided and his most recent brain scan showed no sign of the tumor, said Brian Houck, who feels his family's prayers were answered.
"He's back to his old self and improving every day," he said, adding that although the couple remains optimistic, there is a chance the tumor could return. As for the doctors, said Brian Houck, they're also in disbelief. But for now, Evyn and his family are getting back to life as usual. For more information on the event, visit
www.tburgminigolf.com. To follow Evyn's progress or to donate, visit
www.caringbridge.org/visit/evynhouck.