Published: January 9, 2025
At age 5, Jakob Quenzer was diagnosed with ganglioglioma, a rare and slow-growing benign tumor in his brain. Thanks to a bicycle accident leading to a scan at his local urgent clinic, the tumor was found early.
“Upon arrival at the local urgent clinic, we learned that a total of four boys were being seen for possible head trauma,” said Rhonda Quenzer, Jakob’s mom. “The doctor decided to get a CT scan for each, and when she came back, she told us that Jakob had a brain tumor.”
At the time, Jakob didn’t have any symptoms of a tumor. It was the size of a quarter. The tumor grew and eventually attached to his brain stem, creating various obstacles. The family was referred to Norton Children’s for Jakob’s treatment.
Jakob began his journey with Norton Children’s Cancer Institute at a young age. Now, 16, he has endured around a decade of treatment. That includes four brain surgeries, two rounds of chemotherapy and one round of gene-targeted therapy. His last round of chemo continued for two years and ended in September 2023.
Since Jakob finished chemo, he’s had multiple scans showing the tumor has decreased in size and is stable. He will continue to be monitored by his team at Norton Children’s, receiving scans every four months.
“We appreciate his team of doctors and nurses that have cared for Jakob over the years and continue to give him exceptional care,” Rhonda said.
Our board-certified oncologists use the latest treatment options available to treat childhood brain tumors.
Mustafa Barbour, M.D., pediatric neuro-oncologist and hematologist/oncologist with Norton Children’s Cancer Institute, is one of those doctors.
“I have enjoyed watching Jakob grow and become such brave young man with extreme resilience,” Dr. Barbour said. “He has continually leaned into his faith and family for greater strength. Jakob became part of our family. Our team misses seeing him as often, yet [we’re] proud of him and his many accomplishments.”
Despite the scary diagnosis that Jakob received as a young child, he is enjoying life as a teenager. With a new driver’s license, he is enjoying the freedoms that come with driving and being independent. He’s an inspiration to those around him.
“Jakob is our hero,” Rhonda said. “He is courageous and wants to be a positive example for anyone facing health challenges, especially at a young age.”