The Brown County Commissioners Court today declared September as “Childhood Cancer Awareness Month” in Brown County.  The request for the declaration was made by Travis Curry and his niece Makayla Curry.

Makayla Curry is the mother of 6-1/2 year old Layne Curry, who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of four.  Initial symptoms included shaky hands and legs, which Makayla first thought might be Parkinson’s disease.  Layne was taken to Cook’s Childrens Hospital in Fort Worth, where he was found to have “Juvenile Pilocystic Astrocytoma,” a brain tumor.  Three days later, on October 7, 2019, surgery was performed which removed 90% of the tumor.

Childhood cancer is the leading cause of death from disease among persons under the age of 19, and second only to accidents in total deaths among children.  Every year more than 15,500 young persons are diagnosed with cancer, with about 1,700 deaths.

Hope from the Heart sponsors events each year in September.  One such event will be held this Friday at the Brownwood Lions football game in Gordon Wood Stadium.  Also there is a childhood cancer organization based in Goldthwaite, “Luke’s Legacy of Light,” which is holding a 5K Walk/Run in Goldthwaite this Saturday, September 17, at 9:00 a.m.

Layne Curry is now in the care of Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, where he goes every six months for an MRI exam.  The good news is that Layne is doing just fine these days!