MEMPHIS, Tenn. — At 11-and-a-half years old, George Brewer will tell you his life has been like an emotional roller coaster, but this is his season.
“It’s like an emotional roller coaster. It goes sad and once it’s over it goes happy,” Brewer said. “As I said, it’s a blessed time and amazing I’ve gone through everything I’ve been through.”
George is already a winner beating the obstacles against him, and in playing one of his favorite sports basketball. He’s got skills shooting hoop with his brother, Benjamin.
George is also mature beyond his years understanding what makes him special.
“I feel different from all the kids, but in a special way because I know how much I’ve been through.”
George has been through a lot because not too long ago an illness almost benched him last year.
It all started when he began having frequent headaches.
At first his parents, Kevin and Cindy thought maybe the headaches were just related to sports and not being hydrated.
“He was suffering from headaches, but not anything we didn’t think was dehydration or just a long day from practice in heat,” Cindy Brewer said.
On Mother’s Day of 2017, George had to be taken to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital after he complained of a headache that got worse and worse.
“He’s getting sick and we were very concerned and bundled him up and we got to go to Le Bonheur,” Kevin Brewer.
During the summer, an MRI showed George had a small tumor in the back of his head.
“You try to keep it from going down the path of the worst-case scenario, but you do. You worry about your son.”
The worry and the concern were justified even when you’re as brave as George.
“I was hoping for the best and wish I could, I could be brave through all of this,” he said.
In January of this year, doctors determined George’s tumor would need to be removed and surgery was scheduled for march at Le Bonheur.
“It wasn’t life, death. It was, we don’t know what this is. Is it cancerous or not? Is it attached to something within the brain?”
The Brewers were by George’s side every step of the way and they hoped and prayed for the best.
“We have faith-filled families on all side. We had text chains and groups who were praying for us,” they said.
George’s brother Benjamin was also sending up special prayer requests for God.
“I prayed almost every night and I feel they were answered,” he said. What would he say to God? “I’d say make sure he’s safe and he’s in good hands.”
George would be in good hands at Le Bonheur.
His family says his miracle did come, and it happened right before Easter of this year.
After a four-hour surgery, Dr. Frederick Boop and his brain surgery team removed George’s tumor.
“We were super excited to get the results back that everything was benign.”
The Brewers say Le Bonheur made the difference.
“You don’t realize what an amazing hospital we have here for children, which is Le Bonheur, until you go through something like that.”
Now, each day, each hour, each second seems magnified about the importance of life, and now George is living life to the fullest and spending time with his dog, Lamar.
“I feel like I’m special and I feel like I’m the one who’s been through the most,” he said.
The tumor, and the fear are not on his backyard basketball court.
George is at the top of his game in life because this is his season, and it’s one that will last a lifetime thanks to his family’s faith and thanks to Le Bonheur.
“They are just a great hospital, they’re by my side and everyone is by my side, and I just feel really special.”
