Trump honors boy battling with cancer: Know more about childhood ependymoma

US President Donald Trump recently honored a 13-year-old Devarjaye 'DJ' Daniel, who has been battling brain cancer since 2018. Trump granted the young fighter an honorary United States Secret Service agent title, making him the youngest ever to receive this recognition.

“I had 13 brain surgeries and that's how many times my personality has changed. That's something that you don't hear from a terminally ill child. I'm gonna keep on going into my gas tank runs out. And that's when God calls you home. You never know when God's gonna call you home,” the boy said.

DJ Daniel’s fight against cancer

DJ Daniel was diagnosed with high-grade anaplastic ependymoma, a rare and aggressive brain tumor in September 2018. The doctors who treated him initially gave him just five months to live. But, the boy was born a fighter, and he didn’t give up on life that easily. It’s been more than six years since the doctors told his end was near. DJ Daniel continues to defy the odds and move forward with incredible zest for life.

What is childhood ependymoma?

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), childhood ependymoma is a rare type of tumor that starts in the brain or spinal cord. Like other cancers, ependymomas too start when cells called ependymal cells grow without control. This type of cancer can affect essential functions like breathing, heart rate, memory, and learning. Ependymomas are most common in children under 5 years old. They are also more common in boys than in girls. About 200 to 250 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with ependymoma each year. In the UK around 30 children are diagnosed with ependymoma every year.

Signs and symptoms of childhood ependymoma

The symptoms of this condition depend on the child's age and where the tumor has formed.

If it is posterior fossa ependymoma, the symptoms include:

• Accumulation of spinal fluid in the brain, potentially leading to fatigue, nausea, a downward gaze, irritability, delayed development, or an enlarged head.
• Difficulty with balance or walking.
• Neck discomfort.
• Loss of function of the nerves in the back of the brain.

If it is supratentorial ependymomas, the symptoms include:

• seizures
• frequent headaches
• blurry vision
• nausea and vomiting
• changes in movement and sensation
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  Trump Gets Emotional; 13-Year-Old Cancer Survivor Gets Secret Service Role | Meet DJ Daniel

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Symptoms of spinal cord ependymomas include:

• neck or back pain
• neck weakness or stiffness
• weakness in one or both legs
• trouble urinating
• a change in bowel function

The treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, among others.
(Pic courtesy: iStock)