BATON ROUGE — An 18-month-old battling neuroblastoma is now preparing for what his mother calls “the biggest surgery yet,” as his family braces for another emotional and financial hurdle in their fight against childhood cancer.
Briana White says she received the call from her son’s surgeon last Thursday — and immediately felt her heart sink.
“I got a call from the surgeon. My heart dropped,” White said. “Because surgery is very scary — especially for a baby who has had three already just within the last almost year.”
A Year of Procedures
White says her son, Jimmie Jr., has endured more in his short life than most adults.
His surgeries began last July with an inguinal hernia repair. Months later came a laminectomy — where surgeons cut open his back, removed part of his vertebrae, and replaced it to access the tumor wrapped around his spine. He also underwent chest surgery to implant a port for chemotherapy treatments.
“And now this surgery, which is the biggest one yet,” White said. “I am so scared but trying to remain positive and optimistic.”
Following his fourth course of chemotherapy, doctors made the decision to pause chemo in preparation for this major operation scheduled for Thursday the 19th.
“Our whole life has changed. His whole life as we knew it has drastically changed,” White said. “He has so much work to do to get back up and walking. I know his body has to be exhausted by now.”
MORE: “I knew my baby wasn’t okay”: A Baton Rouge mother’s instinct uncovers the truth – Neuroblastoma
The Road Back to Memphis
White and her son briefly returned home to Louisiana to spend time with their four other children before heading back to Memphis for surgery at St. Jude.
They will travel Sunday.
The days leading up to surgery are filled with critical appointments. On the 16th, Jimmie Jr. will undergo a CT scan at St. Jude. On the 17th, doctors at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital will perform an angiogram — injecting contrast dye through an artery in his groin to map the blood vessels surrounding his spine and tumor.
“That will show the surgeons exactly where everything is,” White explained.
On the 18th, the family will meet with the surgical team to review results and finalize plans before the 19th — what White calls “the big day.”
“Dr. Murphy will be the one to perform the surgery,” she said. “God please just bless his hands and his mind. Give him knowledge and wisdom.”
Little Jimmie’s Amazon Wishlist
A Mother’s Prayer
White says her heart is heavy as she prepares to once again sit beside her baby in a hospital room miles away from her other children.
“I pray God just wraps His hands around my son,” she said. “I pray He brings wisdom and healing to the doctors. I pray for a speedy and easy recovery — he is just a baby.”
The timing has only added to the stress.
“The flu is going around our house,” White said. “I’m trying my hardest for little Jimmie not to get sick before we travel. I’m exhausted to say the least.”
Financial Strain Mounts
While White spends her days in Memphis with her son, her husband, Jimmie Sr., carries the financial weight at home — working while also caring for their other four children.
“We are so behind on bills,” White said. “We don’t even know if he’ll be able to come back up there with us. If not, that leaves me and little Jimmie alone.”
She says the pressure is overwhelming.
“I just don’t want to lose our home or our faith throughout all this,” White said. “We have no one, to be honest.”
Little Jimmie’s Amazon Wishlist
Asking for Help
The White family has created a GoFundMe to help with mounting bills and living expenses during treatment. They’ve also shared a wish list for anyone who would prefer to send gifts, clothes, or items to help Jimmie Jr. during his hospital stay and recovery.
“The link to his GoFundMe is most important, especially with us behind on bills,” White said. “But if anyone wants to send him gifts or clothes for Memphis and while he’s in the hospital, that would mean so much too.”
As surgery approaches, White says she is holding tightly to hope — and prayer.
“My heart is heavy,” she said. “But I’m trying to stay strong for him.”
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