NOTE FROM THE MACS STAFF

Takota's story has NOT been updated yet since he passed away on October 19th, 2000. We will update the end of his story as soon as we receive more information from his family.

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Takota's Story
written by mom Lisa

Takota is our second of three sons. Takota was conceived when Dallon was only a few months old. In 1998, we noticed that his head was a little larger than normal. On the first day of February 1999, during a routine office visit, a cat-scan was ordered the same day and he was diagnosed with Hydrocephalous. The doctor told us that there was a small irregularity in the test and Takota was hospitalized in Reno for a week of tests. The baby has the best near doctors in the area and was referred to a surgeon out of Sacramento California that came to the Reno area on Fridays.

After a MRI was done, surgery was scheduled in Sacramento at Sutter Memorial Hospital and a shunt was placed under the scalp to the stomach to drain the cranium fluid. Hydrocephalous is a swelling of the head due to excessive fluid build up, usually from a tumor or some other obstruction that will not let the fluid except. Takota is such a good going child and so even tempered that most of the poking and prodding didn't seem to bother him very much. During the surgery to install the shunt a biopsy was taken of a small tumor sighted in the MRI. The doctors also punctured both of Takota's ear drums to relieve the pressure of the swelling of his skull, recovering about a teaspoon of fluid from each ear.

Complications have occurred and a staff infection took over the body of Takota, so back in the hospital for two more weeks for antibiotics. During this time the biopsy came back on the tumor in the brain. Bad news of all bad news... it was cancer! The type of cancer Takota has is called Pineoblastoma. We had meetings with radiation doctors and oncologists giving Takota a 2% chance of living until five years old. The radiation treatments are five days a week at 2:45 PM and they have to knock Takota out each time. We were devastated at this news that our beautiful child was having to go through all of this and still not have a good change at a full rich life.

Takota's brother, Dallon has been with my mother and on the weekends both the boys are together, wrestling and hugging each other. One of the hardest parts of treating Takota's illness is breaking up the family. I stay in Sacramento and will be here with Takota for three months and on the weekends I go home with both the boys and to be with my husband, Sheldon. I had to quit my job at a department store and Sheldon has worked his schedule for three 12 hour shifts and that gives him more time with Takota and Dallon. The common thread is prayer and love for Takota, if he is going to make it through this, will be the prayers of all the supporters and a touch from God's hand on Takota and all of the children (sparrows) on this website. We would like to thank in advance all those who send cards and letters to Takota.