Boy and His Mother Both Diagnosed with Serious Cancers on the Same Day (Video)

A young Oregon family is living through every parent’s worst nightmare after a four-year-old boy and his mother were diagnosed with two different cancers on the very same day.

It all began last month when little Jamon McRae started complaining about persistent headaches. His parents, Britney and Jake, took him to the ER, hoping for simple answers. Instead, after multiple visits and an MRI, doctors discovered a mass near Jamon’s brainstem — one that needed immediate attention.

But while Jamon’s medical team rushed to plan his treatment, the family was blindsided again. During what she thought was a normal early pregnancy checkup, Britney learned she had gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, a rare cancer that forms from placental tissue. What she believed was an eight-week pregnancy turned out to be a molar pregnancy — and the abnormal tissue was cancerous, her brother shared on GoFundMe.

Within just one hour, both Jamon and Britney walked out of their oncology appointments with devastating news.

Jamon, described by his family as a sweet and loving “momma’s boy,” underwent brain surgery on November 3. What was supposed to be a six-hour operation stretched into a grueling 15 hours. Doctors later told the family they couldn’t remove the whole tumor. Days later, pathology confirmed their fears: the growth was an aggressive, malignant brain tumor.

Right now, doctors estimate Jamon’s prognosis at about 50 percent. If surgeons can safely remove the rest of the tumor, that number could climb to around 70 percent.

Recovering at home while preparing for his next procedure, Jamon is dealing with ongoing struggles from surgery — difficulty swallowing, trouble walking, and reliance on a feeding tube. Still, his dad says he hasn’t lost his appetite for his favorite foods: cereal and pasta.

Meanwhile, Britney is fighting her own cancer battle while trying to care for her three children — Jamon, a seven-year-old, and a one-year-old. According to the Cleveland Clinic, GTD is often treatable when caught early, but the diagnosis has forced the family to juggle nonstop medical appointments in both Oregon and California while taking extended time away from work.

Their latest update, posted Tuesday, shared that Jamon’s second surgery went well, though he woke up grumpy, uncomfortable, and experiencing nerve-related complications that doctors believe will improve. Britney began chemotherapy the same day, though her first session got off to a rough start after multiple failed IV attempts.

“Being helpless … like I can’t do anything for them … that’s probably the hardest part,” Jake said.

A GoFundMe created to support the family has already raised nearly $64,000, helping them stay afloat during the most difficult chapter of their lives. Through everything, Jake says he’s holding onto hope — hope that both his son and his wife will pull through, and hope that the support of strangers and loved ones will help carry them toward better days.

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