The Rock's Big Heart
- Dwayne Johnson shares on Instagram a video of him speaking with a young boy named Jett, 5, battling a highly aggressive brain tumor with a poor prognosis.
- The boy is battling Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a brain tumor that presents only in children, generally between the ages of 5 and 9.
- Jett has had 30 rounds of radiation therapy to treat his DIPG.
Johnson called five-year-old Jett in a heart-warming video call which he shared with fans on Instagram. The video has over 1.3 million “likes,” and fans are, yet again, feeling inspired by Johnson’s huge heart and the way he takes time for others, namely those in a health battle.
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Johnson explains DIPG to his fans, saying the prognosis of this disease is poor, and there’s a survival rate of 8 to 11 months. Johnson writes, “DIPG takes away the ability to walk, talk, smile, and eventually breathe – all while leaving the mind completely in tact.”
The actor lavishes Jett with praise, writing, “THIS LITTLE BOY IS SO STRONG. 30 rounds of radiation without sedation. Just calm and brave. He's lost the ability to speak but completely understands and he uses thumbs up or thumbs down to respond to things. This little boy looks up to me as a superhero. He believes I'm brave, strong, funny and kind…”
Johnson continues to say, “Maybe I'm a few of those things, but in this moment talking to him, I just don't know. But what I do know is that this little boy is way stronger, braver and kinder than I'll ever be.” Unable to speak, Johnson and Jett communicated using a “thumbs-up” and “thumbs-down” system. He told Jett he was his “thumbs up buddy.”
The Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle star shares that he speaks with people usually children every week who are “fighting for their lives.” Johnson says that this call deeply affected him. “Usually I have my shit together – usually I'm strong in the moment. Strong for the kids and the parents. I keep it together. But this time when I was telling Jett's mommy and daddy, Larisa and Manny how special their son is…I just had to pause. Too emotional to speak. All I could muster was ‘I'm sorry’.”
After his call with Jett, which took place three weeks ago, Johnson was on a flight home to see his five-year-old daughter on her birthday, who is the same age as Jett. He writes with heartbreaking vulnerability, “I don't why things like this happen the way they do. I just don't know. But, it was such a PRIVILEGE for me to talk to Jett and his family. I'm in awe of his bravery and the strength of his parents, Larisa & Manny.”
Understanding Childhood Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma
Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a type of brain tumor. It’s highly aggressive, and this type of tumor is also difficult to treat. The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute details how this tumor “occurs in an area of the brainstem (the lowest, stem-like part of the brain) called the pons, which controls many of the body's most vital functions such as breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate.”
Due to its location, and the aggressiveness of the tumor, DPIG is called a “high grade” malignant brain tumor. Dana-Farber explains, “DIPG is a glial tumor, meaning it arises from the brain’s glial tissue that supports and protects the brain’s neurons. It accounts for 10 percent of all childhood central nervous system tumors.”
Annually, roughly 300 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with DIPG, making it a rare tumor. Children who are diagnosed are typically aged 5 to age 9. DPIG doesn’t occur in adults, and it occurs in boys and girls equally.
Going through Radiation
Radiation is a common form of a therapy used to treat a wide variety of cancers. It uses beams of intense energy to destroy cancer cells. To treat his tumor, Jett has undergone 30 rounds of radiation, Johnson writes.
Early side effects from radiation are: fatigue and skin changes. Other early side effects, says the American Cancer Society (ACS), “usually are related to the area being treated, such as hair loss and mouth problems when radiation treatment is given to this area.”
The late side effects depend on what part of the body is being treated, along with the radiation dose. The ACS says that side effects from radiation for a brain tumor like Jett’s can include:
- Headaches
- Hair loss
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Extreme tiredness (fatigue)
- Hearing loss
- Skin and scalp changes
- Trouble with memory and speech
- Seizures
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