A Las Vegas family is stressing the importance of parental instincts after their 11-year-old Elijah Portillo collapsed at school. While his mom and dad knew something was wrong, doctors said Elijah was fine — and then he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
“The biggest lesson learned for us parents is to react,” his father, Richard Portillo, told Fox 5 Vegas. “A lot of people say, they’re trying to get out of school or whatever. That was not the case. His life was in danger.”
Two months ago, after a high school student passed out at school, Portillo says doctors said it might be because of his son’s blood pressure.
But then Elijah began experiencing “terrible headaches, nausea and dizziness,” according to a GoFundMe set up to help the family pay for his medical expenses.
“His mom and dad took him to the doctor and his symptoms were presented as a virus,” according to the GoFundMe.
Elijah’s mother, Michelle, took her son to the ER and talked them into doing a CT scan – and that’s when they found a 3-centimeter tumor on his brainstem/spinal cord.
Stock image of a CT scanner.
Vernon Yuen/NurPhoto
Isabella Strahan reflects on life before brain tumor diagnosis: ‘It was a great year until it didn’t’
Although there are many different types of brain tumors, “the tumor can move or press on sensitive tissue and block the flow of blood and other fluids, causing pain and inflammation,” according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. “A tumor can also block the normal flow of activity in the brain or signaling to and from the brain.”
Elijah was airlifted to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, where he underwent a 7-hour operation to remove the tumor.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
But on Oct. 30, the family — whose 17-year-old Jasmine died last year in a car accident and whose son Art died in 2020 from COVID — learned that Elijah’s tumor was cancerous.
Now Elijah is battling complications that have prevented his recovery. First, he fell, and “the fall caused the drainage tube going into his brain to dislodge,” according to GoFundMe.
He then needed a feeding tube because he is “trying really hard to eat” but can’t keep anything down.
Still, Elijah continues to fight, the GoFundMe explains, and hopes to go home to Las Vegas before returning to Utah to begin treatment.
Boy’s family found out about brain tumor after hitting furniture: ‘Prognosis is pretty bleak’
“He’s really looking forward to sleeping in his own bed, and most of all to hugging his mom and brothers! He misses them so much!” says GoFundMe.
“Elijah is so strong and exceptional. The scariest experience I’ve ever faced in my life,” Richard told Fox5 Vegas. “He’s actually my hero.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education