Even as San Tan Valley's Miles Boyd, 9, battles a rare brain tumor, his faith hasn’t wavered and a smile continues to grace his face. After experiencing what his family initially thought were sinus headaches, an optometrist instructed his mother to take him directly to the emergency room because Miles’ optic nerves were extremely swollen. Imaging confirmed he had a brain tumor and an incurable condition called Pilomyxoid Astrocytoma that would require multiple surgeries and several months of chemo.
The Armer Foundation for Kids is now raising funds to help the San Tan Valley family pay for the medical bills that will be ongoing throughout this process.
“No family should be financially stressed while focusing on the care of their child who is facing the unimaginable, and that’s where we step in,” said Jennifer Armer, founder of Armer Foundation for Kids. “We are welcoming donations to help support the Boyd family as they move forward with Miles’ treatment.”
After the third surgery and a week-long hospital stay, Miles’ doctors found hemorrhaging and he lost his short-term memory for a month (which has thankfully returned). Following the third surgery and initial treatments, MRIs confirmed the tumor was no longer growing. His most recent MRI showed shrinking of the tumor for the first time since his treatments began. Miles’ mom says he has been so brave throughout his entire journey, never losing his faith or upbeat outlook on life.
Pilomyxoid Astrocytoma (PMA) is a rare and aggressive primary central nervous system tumor that is associated with a shorter progression-free-survival affecting young children and infants. The mean age of PMA is 10-18 months.
Funds for the Boyd family are being accepted through the Armer Foundation for Kids here.
For more information on the Armer Foundation for Kids and the many children they help, visit armerfoundation.org.
