Kennedy Kimbro

Kennedy has a terminal Brain Tumor (GBM). Unfortunatly this is a highly aggressive tumor that is made up of multi-cells that are extremely hard to control. Not many treatments at this time are effective, but some can help prolong lives.

Now Kennedy's journey begins: Kennedy has always been a high strung, very aggressive,full of life, strong-willed little boy from birth. The day that he was born he came into this world with a BANG!!! I wasn't ready on October 16th of 1994, but our little Kennedy was. Mimi (who is my mother) drove a 100, weaving in and out of traffic to get me to the hospital to have Kennedy. We arrived at 4:22 and Kennedy Tyler Kimbro was born at 4:33, now he hasn't stopped racing with life until March 22nd of 2002. Kennedy had many headaches but of course without any knowledge of a "brain tumor" at that time I couldn't understand WHY he would have these outburst at night, waking him from, what I thought a very peaceful sleep. The day of March 22nd Kennedy was very ill but I had to work, so I had his grandma take care of him. By 4pm that day she arrived with him, Kennedy's color was very grey and he was very lathargic. We went to a local "speedy" clinic, they ran some test and told us that they would be in contact with us as soon and they knew somthing.Later on that day my boyfriend Philip sister, Gina, called to check on Kennedy and told her of one of the test that they had ran for his eyes and that it concerned me but didn't think anything of it. She said I will be right over, I kindof chuckled, and said well ok then. After her checking his eyes, she started her car and bundled Kennedy up and said "take Kennedy NOW to the ER, something isn't right" so I did. Around 11:15 that night, after a cat scan and some blood work, the doctor came in and told us that Kennedy had some type of tumor and it was VERY large and that they were arranging for us to be careflighted to Cooks Children's Medical Hospital in Ft. Worth Texas.
 

I can recall today looking at that doctor, and saying "what did you say, there MUST be a mistake"!! No there was no mistake Kennedy had a brain tumor, and I had no idea what a "Warrior and Hero" that my son would become in so many lives, including myself, on this day.

The following Monday Kennedy underwent a 3 1/2 hour surgery to resect as much of the tumor that the surgeon could. After this the Surgeon, Dr. Donahue came out to tell me that Kennedy indeed had a brain tumor the size of a lemon, and that it was called Glioblastoma Multiforme, and that this tumor was "highly cancerous" and that he had been able to resect 95f it, but it was going to be a fight cause this tumor is hard to stop. I fell to a sitting position and cried, first out of being scared of what this was and the fear of cancer, second out of the unknown. Cancer, I thought, people die from cancer, and my 7 year old has this in his brain? How would we get through this and what the outcome would be. To make a long story short Kennedy is 9 now, he has endured more than the average adult does in a life time. Two surgeries, 6 in a half weeks of full leftside head radiation, many medicines, seizures, left side paraylisis, short term memory loss, two rounds of a clinical trial chemo drug that did nothing, stereoactive raditation, depression, aggressive behaviors, BUT he became a Christian besides of all of the tramatic events in the last two years, loves Jesus, and his family. 

On January 9th 2004, the doctors at Cooks told us that there wasn't anymore that they could do for Kennedy. He was sent home on Hospice, and the doctors only gave him ruffly 6 more mths to live. Kennedy is still at this time thriving, but of course has some really bad days. He is home schooled, goes and plays out side, and still loves his game boy advance!!

Kennedy is truely loved by so many, and he has touched so many peoples lives, and I know that he will continue to do so no matter what.

I justed wanted to share with you all the our precious Kennedy Tyler Kimbro went to be with his Lord at 5:05 this morning.....I was there while he took his last breathe's and it was the most precious, quiet, time that has ever occurred in my life.