Julian Arvelo, a soon-to-be 8-year-old, saw an occupational therapist after having difficulties in school. The therapist noticed weakness on the left side of his body.
Doctors ordered an MRI, which was scheduled for February 2026. However, a cancellation last week changed everything.
One hour of waiting turned into two, and the family's suspicions grew.
"I asked, 'What did you find?' And they basically showed me that he had two masses in his brain and I just kind of broke down and cried when I seen it because I didn't expect that at all, especially from my 7-year-old, you know?" said Sean Arvelo, Julian’s dad.
Dr. Karl Balsara, Surgical Director of Pediatric Oncology Program at OU Children’s Hospital, said tumors like Julian’s can range from very aggressive to very benign.
“Encountering one of these tumors is really a life-changing event for these families, for these kids. Often times, it comes out of nowhere. It just comes out the blue; very innocuous symptoms. The spectrum of treatment that we have available for them is also pretty broad, but it all starts with getting a diagnosis.”
Doctors removed one of his tumors, which measured around 2 inches, in just under 14 hours.
“We’re waiting for the data that shows us those underlying characteristics of his tumor so we can hopefully go on and treat it further.”
Sean Arvelo said his heart breaks because Julian wants to get out of bed and play.
“He’s up and awake now. He [says], ‘I wanna leave. I wanna go home. I don’t like being here. I hate it.’ And it just breaks my heart because I know he wants to be out of the bed and moving.”
Vanessa Rabe, Julian’s mom, said she tries to explain the situation to him.
"I did try and explain to him, 'Hey, you remember you are here because you have an owie that you can't see but you need to get better. So, I've been trying to explain it to him like that, but he's still sleepy and a little loopy."
His dad said their focus is on getting 1% better every day.
“That’s our mindset.”
As of Thursday evening, Julian was still feeling very weak and sleepy. He can’t stand or walk, his mom shared.
“Despite having this extremely large tumor in his head, he’s actually doing reasonably well,” Dr. Balsara explained.
Julian’s parents said they have to pay out-of-network for some of the biggest expenses.
If you’d like to donate to their GoFundMe, click here.
The family said they would also appreciate anyone who reaches out with support of any kind.
Elizabeth Fitz
https://www.news9.com/story/688c20f7f469fe057181ad09/7-year-old-midwest-city-boy-with-two-brain-tumors-undergoes-surgery-family-needs-help
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