EL DORADO, Kan. (KSNW) – When Keegan was 13, his family noticed he was falling behind on his height and weight.
“It just went straight across, flat, borderline, and he wasn’t growing,” said Dustin, Keegan’s dad. “He wasn’t gaining weight.”
Doctors found a brain tumor.
“When I first heard it, it’s like almost heartbreaking news,” Keegan said. “I didn’t really know what to think. None of us really knew what to think, and then, I mean, it just happened so fast.”
Dustin says they spent a lot of time at St. Jude.
“You’re not focused on anything else,” Dustin said. “It’s seven days a week of appointments for the first week we were there until we got to surgery, and then we were shuttled to Le Bonheur and then had surgery, and we’re in ICU there, so we never left the hospital hardly the first two weeks.”
Keegan says the best part was the support system he gained.
“Amazing people,” Keegan said. “All the amazing doctors. They’re the best part. They always cheer you up. You meet some of the greatest people there, and we have kids that are family now to me almost. So, they are amazing.”
“The way that they treat and take care of the kids, I mean the doctors, the nurses, the interns, the receptionists,” Dustin said. “You’d come into a spot, and they’d see you coming down the hallway, and they’d start whooping and hollering and cheering you on.”
Dustin and Keegan’s mom, Jessica, says their son encourages them.
“I mean, it’s been an inspiration for us, and we’re wanting to lose it, and we’re talking to him and he’s calm about it,” Dustin said. “We kind of lean on each other for strength.”
The family says giving to St. Jude supports families just like theirs.
“I mean, you get there, and you realize how much bills you racked up as far as in medical costs, but it’s 100% paid,” Dustin said. “And when you’re going through a life-altering situation with a child, and you know that you don’t have that pressure of hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical costs that you have to pay, and you can focus on your child, that is huge.”
You can help support St. Jude and children like Keegan by joining us for the 9th Annual Wichita St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway. There are just over 1,000 tickets left. Click here to get your ticket.
