Brady's story: Finding help, balance, and hope

Part 1: Finding help 

With his rosy cheeks, tousled hair, and outgoing personality, Brady Jorgensen looks like many other kids his age. You wouldn’t guess that he’s lived with a brain tumor since he was 9 months old.

Brady's family turned to the pediatric brain tumor clinic at UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital, the first of its kind in Iowa, in hopes of a longer and better quality of life. 

Part 2: Finding balance

Brady Jorgensen began a six-week course of radiotherapy to treat his brain tumor—28 treatments, Monday through Friday. His team at University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital proposed fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy, which involves narrow beams of radiation administered from multiple angles to precisely target the tumor while sparing surrounding tissue. The hardest part of radiation for Brady? "Picking out a prize." 

Part 3: Finding hope 

Brady Jorgensen finished radiation treatment for his brain tumor and returns to UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital for a check-up every few months. His grandmother, Teresa, explains, "Brady knows this radiation is going to give him a chance. Now, he talks about going to college. We talk to him about what he’s going to do when he gets older. I’m not sure we had that conversation too much before. Now we have a chance."