FORT MYERS, Fla. — Cole McGinnis is a Fort Myers 9-year-old, fighting a rare form of cancer. The condition is called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma or DIPG.
His mother Brenda McGinnis said he had been complaining of headaches for a while. She and her husband Ryan noticed Cole having a hard time utilizing the muscles in his face.
"From January 31 to February 9, he just had all the symptoms progress, so we ended up taking him to the ER. They did an MRI where they found a tumor in the back of his brain," she said.
Cole's younger brother Carter says he's seen the way the condition has impacted him.
"Ever since he got surgery. He couldn’t do stuff that he used to do," he said.
Cole is now going to be a part of clinical trials as chemo is not effective in this case.
"We might have to travel to Ohio, or we might have to travel to Alabama. Some of these [trips] could last two years and we would have to travel there once a month," Ryan McGinnis said.
One part of the journey the family has found heartwarming is the community support.
Ryan works for Greater Naples Fire. He said the department has been generous as the family seeks treatment.
"A lot of people have donated a lot of time so I can be off," he said.
There are upcoming ways to support Cole: a fundraiser at Sugar Shack Downtown in Bonita Springs and a kickball tournament.
The money raised will help the McGinnis family navigate Cole's medical bills so he can get back to doing what he loves with ease.
