Brain surgery for a cavernous malformation gets Timmy back to being a kid

Eight-year-old Timmy LaCorcia was having a bad day. He didn’t feel well and had to leave school early. It was frustrating — he usually had perfect attendance — but not alarming. After all, it was March, a time when children often struggle with colds and other illnesses. “We just thought he had a stomach bug,” says his mother, Gina. But a week later, he still felt sick. This time, his head hurt. At home, Gina got him settled on the sofa and gently pulled a blanket over him as he dozed. Several minutes later, she checked back in on him and noticed that his foot was twitching. Turning him over, she saw that his eyes had rolled back in his head and he was drooling. Frantic, she dialed 911. By the time an ambulance arrived, Timmy had recovered and seemed fine. But the frightening episode merited a trip to their local emergency room, just to be safe. At the hospital, it soon became clear that he wasn’t suffering from an early-spring cold. Doctors recommended a computed tomography (CT) scan — and the results were troubling. The imaging test identified a large mass in Timmy’s brain. “It was surreal and terrifying,” says Gina. A rollercoaster of emotions The family was referred to Boston Children’s Hospital for additional tests. As they waited anxiously at the hospital for results — on Gina’s birthday — a doctor calmed their fears with the words every worried parent longs to hear: “I do not have devastating news for you.” Instead, clinicians diagnosed ...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Diseases & Conditions Our Patients’ Stories cavernous malformations Cerebrovascular Surgery and Interventions Center Dr. Edward Smith Source Type: news