How Hewitt overcame cancer
Hewitt is a social butterfly and a star student, so when he asked to skip school, his parents knew something was unusual. His main symptom, reoccurring headaches, prompted an MRI at Arkansas Children’s that revealed a baseball-sized tumor near the base of his skull. Hewitt’s treatment began swiftly, with a five-hour craniotomy to remove the tumor. Tumor tissue samples were sent to a lab, ultimately discovering that Hewitt’s cancer was rare, malignant, and fast-growing. Because certain forms of radiation can impact a child’s growth, doctors landed on a combination of both chemotherapy and proton beam therapy, a new radiation that causes less tissue damage. Through all six months of treatment, the nurses and child life specialists at Arkansas Children’s became a pivotal support system for Hewitt. With every new phase of treatment, the team explained the process so Hewitt could easily understand. He responded well to the treatment, and on March 13, 2024, Hewitt rang the bell, symbolizing being cancer-free! Today, he’s in remission and back to doing what he loves most – hanging with friends, being a great big brother, and excelling in school.
