A family in Las Vegas is highlighting the significance of trusting parental instincts following the incident where their 11-year-old son, Elijah Portillo, collapsed at school. Despite his parents’ concerns, medical professionals assured them that Elijah was healthy — only to later discover he had a brain tumor.
Two months prior, following an incident where the middle schooler fainted at school, Portillo reported that doctors suggested it could have been related to his son’s blood pressure.
However, Elijah started to suffer from severe headaches, nausea, and dizziness, as stated in a GoFundMe set up to assist the family with his medical expenses.
Michelle, Elijah’s mother, brought her son to the emergency room and persuaded the staff to perform a CT scan — that’s when they discovered a 3-centimeter tumor at his brain stem/spinal cord.
There are various kinds of brain tumors, and they can exert pressure on delicate tissues, obstructing blood and fluid circulation, which may lead to pain and inflammation, as stated by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. “A tumor may obstruct the usual flow of activity within the brain or disrupt communication to and from the brain.”
Elijah was transported by air to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, where he had a 7-hour operation to excise the tumor.
On October 30, the family received devastating news: their 17-year-old daughter, Jasmine, tragically lost her life in a car accident last year, and their son, Art, passed away in 2020 due to COVID. Now, they have learned that Elijah’s tumor is cancerous.
Elijah is currently facing challenges that have hindered his path to recovery. Initially, he collapsed, and “the collapse resulted in the drainage tube that was inserted into his brain being pulled out,” as stated in the GoFundMe.
He required a feeding tube as he is making every effort to eat, yet struggles to retain anything.
Elijah remains determined in his battle, as detailed in the GoFundMe, and he aspires to return to Las Vegas before heading back to Utah for treatment.