Marco Garcia: A Story of Young Courage, Perseverance, and Curiosity
"I know proton therapy is helping me. I can now do more things like play at recess with my friends. I would tell other kids like me that as time goes on, you’ll start to feel better."
Marco Garcia
Pediatric Brain Tumor Patient
Marco Garcia is an 11-year-old from Hurst, Texas, who loves Minecraft, hot Cheetos, and a good Netflix animation series. A proud uncle and the youngest of five siblings, Marco lives every day with resilience and curiosity – despite facing a battle far beyond his years.
Something was not quite right
Prior to his diagnosis, Marco’s family noticed something wasn’t quite right when they watched him play with the other children his age.
“Marco was having headaches pretty often and trouble balancing when he walked or ran,” said his sister, Elizabeth Garcia. “He was falling over a lot, and we weren’t sure if it was because something was wrong, or he was just being a kid. He also wasn’t growing as fast as some of his classmates.”
Marco was diagnosed with craniopharyngioma, a rare and aggressive brain tumor. The tumor was highly complex, and rapidly growing around the nerves connected to his eyes and ears as well as his pituitary (hormone) gland. Marco’s tumor was impacting his vision, hearing, balance, memory, and puberty growth – challenges a fifth grader shouldn’t be experiencing.
While the tumor was thankfully declared benign, it still needed to be removed immediately. “When the doctor told me I had a tumor in my brain, I was scared,” recalls Marco. “I’ve never had surgery before. I mean, I’m only 11 years old.”
In September 2023, Marco underwent surgery to remove a portion of the tumor. The procedure required the removal of a piece of his skull, which was replaced with titanium metal.
A path towards hope and healing
After surgery, Marco’s journey was far from over. The remaining half of his tumor required advanced radiation therapy treatment. The following month, Marco was referred to Texas Center for Proton Therapy, where he met Victor S. Mangona, M.D., radiation oncologist, who specializes in pediatric cases.
Proton therapy is an advanced form of radiation therapy that delivers precise, highly-targeted doses of radiation to a tumor. “For patients like Marco with complex tumors in sensitive areas of the body, such as the brain, proton therapy may be an ideal treatment in eliminating a tumor’s cells while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissues or vital organs,” says Dr. Mangona.
“Proton therapy is an ideal course of treatment for children whose bodies are still growing and maturing. The level of precision helps reduce risk of long-term side effects we especially don’t want young patients to experience, such as neurological functions like speech and memory.”
This form of radiation therapy wasn’t just the next step in Marco’s multidisciplinary treatment plan, but a path towards hope and healing.
Marco’s resilience shined brightly
Behind Marco stands a loving family, including his devoted sister, Elizabeth, who brought him to his appointments every day for months – never missing a day of school.
Throughout treatment, Marco's resilience shined brightly. “I know proton therapy is helping me,” Marco says. “I used to have headaches, but now I don’t have them anymore. I can now do more things like play at recess with my friends.”
Marco completed his final proton therapy treatment in early December 2023, and will not need any further therapies. “I got to take home my radiation mask I wore during treatment now that I’m done. I like that it was made special for me, no one else can wear it unless they’re my clone,” Marco giggles.
A testament to the power of perseverance
Marco’s bravery and story serves as a testament to the power of perseverance, and the hope that resides in medical advancements like proton therapy. Throughout his experience, Marco’s spirit remained undaunted and his excitement about the future speaks volumes about his optimism and zest for life.
After completing treatment, Marco looks forward to finally joining his school’s art club and choir – even though he candidly admitted singing wasn’t a strong suit of his.
“I was excited when I got cleared to run again after not being able to play in any physical games because of my tumor,” says Marco. “I would tell other kids like me that you may feel tired and fall down a lot, but as time goes on, you’ll start to feel better.”
An incredible milestone of treating 4,000 patients
An exciting addendum to Marco ringing the gong and completing treatment is that he is the 4,000th patient treated at Texas Center for Proton Therapy.
“As we acknowledge this incredible milestone, we’re optimistic about the future of proton therapy in effectively treating tumors while maintaining quality of life outside of being a patient,” says Andrew K. Lee, M.D., MPH, medical director of Texas Center for Proton Therapy. “With stories like Marco, we’re proud to be a part of our patients’ journeys and remain committed to providing compassionate care to patients of all ages.”
The information included in this testimonial is based on one patient’s unique experience and is not intended to represent all patient outcomes or expectations.