DENHAM SPRINGS — What started as a headache has turned into every parent’s worst nightmare.
Just weeks ago, 10-year-old Katie Tanton was like any other little girl: full of life, surrounded by her sisters, and looking forward to turning 11.
But in late January, everything changed.
Her mother, Breann Tanton, says it started with subtle but alarming symptoms: strange eye movements, trouble balancing, and headaches that didn’t feel normal.
“We took Katie to the ER initially because she had strange eye movements and her balance was a bit off,” Tanton told UWK.
A CT scan quickly turned into something much more serious. Doctors sent Katie to Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, where an MRI revealed devastating news — a brain tumor and dangerous fluid buildup in her brain.
“If we had waited a few more days to take her, she would have died from that alone,” Tanton said.
Surgeons rushed to save her life, placing a shunt in her brain to drain the excess fluid. But that was only the beginning.
A diagnosis no family is prepared to hear
Katie was transferred to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, where more advanced testing confirmed the diagnosis: Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, or DIPG, a rare and aggressive terminal brain cancer that primarily affects children.
“DIPG is a terminal brain cancer that affects children usually under 11,” Tanton said. “There is no cure.”
Each year, only 200 to 400 children worldwide are diagnosed. The standard treatment is six weeks of radiation, but that only offers temporary relief.
“After radiotherapy, most children average another six months before progression,” Tanton explained. “Then, life expectancy is one to four months.”
Doctors also discovered the tumor carries mutations that make it even harder to treat.
As of April 8, 2026, Katie is now back home and her family says, “She is in good spirits and moving around a bit more. She still tires quickly and her walking gait is off. It’s hard for her to chew and smile and even talk sometimes.”
The family is now waiting to hear about the possible clinical trials and hope to hear back sometime this week.
Fighting for every moment
Despite the odds, Katie is fighting and inspiring everyone around her.
“She has handled everything from the very start with so much faith in God, it’s inspiring,” Tanton said.
Just days ago, Katie could barely walk, speak, chew, or swallow. Now, after radiation and steroids to reduce inflammation, she’s regaining some strength, walking again and speaking more clearly. But even that progress comes with challenges.
“The steroids cause rage issues, so we’re dealing with that right now as well,” her mother said.
Still, her spirit remains unshaken.
GoFundMe: Help the Tanton family
A family carrying more than one burden
As Katie fights for her life, her family is facing a cascade of challenges no one could have imagined.
While in Memphis for treatment, their home in Denham Springs suffered severe damage.
“We can’t take her back to our current house because the roof leaked while we were here at St. Jude, and there is mold in all the kids’ rooms,” Tanton said. “Our landlord cannot afford to fix the roof and interior issues right now.”
That means when Katie returns home briefly before beginning a clinical trial, possibly in another state, there may not be a safe home to return to.
At the same time, Katie’s younger sister, 8-year-old Isla, is battling her own serious condition: cystic fibrosis, requiring daily medication and ongoing care.
And in the middle of it all, Tanton says her own mother suffered multiple strokes while visiting for Katie’s birthday.
“The last two months have been so overwhelming, not only emotionally but financially,” she said.
Choosing memories over everything else
Breann and her husband Austin have made a decision no parent should ever have to make, to step away from work and spend every possible moment with their daughter.
“We don’t want to return to work during this time,” Tanton said. “We just want to spend as much time with her as we can making memories.”
Katie knows she’s sick. Her parents have walked her through every step holding back only the most heartbreaking detail. Through it all, she has one simple wish.
“We are beginning to work with Make-A-Wish,” Tanton said. “She wants to go to Disneyland in California so she can meet all of her family she’s never met, including her great-grandmother.”
A community call to help
Now, the Tanton family is asking for help. With mounting medical bills, travel costs, housing uncertainty, and lost income, the burden is overwhelming.
A GoFundMe has been set up to support them through this unimaginable journey, helping cover expenses so they can focus on what matters most: Katie.
Every donation, every share, and every prayer carries weight. Because right now, for this family, time is not measured in years. It’s measured in moments and they are determined to make every single one count.
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