Dancing Again

When five-year-old Jagger had a hardened abdomen and a worsening tummy ache, his mother, Jessica, immediately rushed him to urgent care.

“We were lucky the urgent care clinic advised us to seek care at The Children’s
Hospital of San Antonio Emergency Center – Westover Hills,” Jessica said.

The radiology team at the Emergency Center confirmed Jagger likely had a kidney tumor and referred him to the Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio for further testing.

A CT scan helped physicians determine that the lump in Jagger’s abdomen was a Wilms tumor, the most common kidney cancer in children.

“The scan also revealed two nodules in Jagger’s right lung,” said Dr. Adam Wolfe, hematologist/oncologist at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. “He was treated with a unique treatment plan designed by the Children’s Oncology Group, a national cancer organization.”

Within two days, Jagger underwent surgery to remove his right kidney.

“The surgery went well, and the entire medical team was so patient and supportive,” Jessica said. “The Hospital staff included some of the nicest, most compassionate people I have ever met.”

Jagger began his 28-week chemotherapy treatment one week after surgery. Unfortunately, the nodules in Jagger’s lung had almost doubled in size by the end of his treatment. He underwent eight doses of whole lung radiation, followed by lung surgery to physically remove the nodules. Even after surgery, doctors discovered that one nodule still remained, and Jagger had to undergo a second, more difficult round of chemotherapy.

“After everything Jagger went through, another scan showed that the remaining nodule had grown even more,” Jessica said.

Dr. Barry Cofer, surgeon at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, performed Jagger’s second lung surgery and successfully removed the last nodule.

Thanks to generous supporters like you, seven-year-old Jagger is cancer-free today, nearly one year later. He loves swimming and playing video games and is a big-time dancer.

“He thinks he is the best dancer in the world,” Jessica laughed. “The Children’s Hospital was like our second home. The nurses are phenomenal, and Jagger would not be here today without his surgeons. They gave my son his life back – we are dancing again.”

To learn more about how you can make a difference in the lives of patients, like Jagger, visit our website: ChildrensHospitalSAFoundation.org.