Sarah and Jahdyn P. Journey from Australia to Save Their 2-Year-Old Daughter’s Life

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Speaker Rich Jones
[toddler babbling sounds] At 2 years of age, Emily Peterson was diagnosed with a rare large brain tumor. This is her mom, Sarah.

Speaker Sarah Peterson
She was deteriorating really rapidly, and looking back now and knowing what we know, she was dying before our eyes.

Speaker Rich Jones
Doctors wanted to operate immediately. That was a 12-hour procedure. They were told she could lose movement on the left side of her body afterward.

Speaker Sarah Peterson
At that point, we're just thinking just, “Let her be okay. Let her come out of this surgery and we'll deal with whatever comes.”

Speaker Rich Jones
She needed a second procedure, 12 hours to remove the rest of the tumor. Success. But then they got troubling news about the severity of the tumor and her cancer was extremely rare.

Speaker Sarah Peterson
There's only 29 cases in the world and Emily is the first kid in Australia to be diagnosed with that tumor.

Speaker Rich Jones
After 6 months of intense monitoring, Emily's tumor grew back and she needed a third surgery. Her dad, Jahdyn, says they were introduced to the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute in Jacksonville. by her doctors after that last procedure.

Speaker Jahdyn Peterson
It ended up being about 6 1/2 weeks because we had a couple of public holidays whilst we were there. But then, weekends to yourself. So we did get to explore around Jacksonville a little bit, which was nice.

Speaker Rich Jones
They lived at the Ronald McDonald House during their stay. Emily responded well to treatment and the family made lots of friends.

Speaker Sarah Peterson
By the time you hit the halfway mark, it just kind of flies the time.

Speaker Rich Jones
And the last day of treatment.

Speaker Sarah Peterson
To ring that chime. [chimes ringing] It just felt so final, like we can close this book. We've done what we need to do. And the way I kept explaining to everyone, we didn't come all this way for it not to work.

Speaker Rich Jones
They called the time in Jacksonville a great experience and they're so grateful to have found the UF Proton Therapy Institute.

Speaker Sarah Peterson
The fact that they share this technology with the world is such a great, amazing thing.

Speaker Rich Jones
Emily's prognosis is fantastic. No signs of the tumor regrowing. They go in for an MRI every three months or so, but overall they're thankful at how she's done with the treatment. Rich Jones, 104.5 WO KV.

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