Community Rallies To Support Boy, 7, With Rare Form Of Cancer
CORONA (CBSLA.com) — At the tender age of 7, Jon Jon Lorenz is battling a rare form of cancer that most adults have never heard of.
He's got DIPG or Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma. It's a cancerous tumor that forms in the middle of the brain stem.
In other words, it's inoperable and in a dangerous place.
Jon Jon's parents first noticed something was wrong last October when their son would trip while playing baseball.
He's in for the battle of his life and has his parents by his side.
"We have to keep looking. We're trying to do our part with the diet and stuff like that to really watch his sugar intake and working with alternative medicines to try to curb, slow the growth of the tumor," says Joe Lorenz, Jon Jon's father.
Worldwide, every year, approximately 150-200 children ages 5-10 are diagnosed with DIPG. Ninety percent will die within 18 months.
Jon Jon's community is putting up a fight. With fundraisers, and his very determined teacher, they have already raised $12,000. Today, they held another fundraiser at the Dos Lagos Golf Course and raffled off items, shirts and other prizes.
The family, with mounting medical bills and expenses, is just back from a clinical trial in New York City.
Anyone interested in helping the family may visit PrayForJonJon.com for more details.
