From Fear to Hope: Jackson’s Story
When Caitlin noticed her 10-year-old son Jackson’s thyroid was a little swollen, she immediately took him for scans. They weren’t too worried—thyroid nodules ran in her husband’s side of the family. Jackson was like any other healthy 10-year-old, playing video games and running around with his friends; they couldn’t have ever imagined something else was going on.
After an ultrasound and some bloodwork, they told her that it looked mostly normal; if anything, it was a thyroid nodule. They went home with some supplements and instructions to come back for yearly testing. Then, just two years later, another swollen lymph node grew on his neck—like before, they took him for scans and bloodwork. But this time, it looked different: Jackson had developed papillary thyroid carcinoma.
It was a shock for the whole family. With no family history of cancer, they had no idea what to expect. Their oncologist directed them to Dr. Lopez and his team at AdventHealth, and Caitlin shared, “we loved him from the moment we met him. He’s very sweet, very caring, and I could tell he really emotionally understood what we were going through as a family.” Dr. Lopez wanted to be conservative in Jackson’s treatment—he recommended two surgeries: complete thyroidectomy, and then a lymph node removal. “Jackson just wanted to get it over with, get it done. He was ready to do whatever it took to get to the other side. He’s my brave boy,” Caitlin shared.
Jackson, now thirteen, loves to play video games, 3D printing, and messing around with his two younger brothers. “We’re so grateful for Dr. Lopez and his team—they’ve made this long journey as easy as it could be,” Caitlin shared on Jackson’s journey.