TJ Powell
Timothy Powell Jr. (TJ) was born on October 12th in Carbondale, IL to his mom Rachel. TJ was always a happy, outgoing little kid who loved playing sports and video games. As he got older he got interested in anime shows and collecting sports cards and memorabilia. Living outside of Chicago, TJ is a diehard Chicago Cubs fan and loves cheering for his favorite basketball team, the Indiana Pacers. His favorite food is and always has been pizza! As he has progressed through his illness, TJ has worked hard to adapt to keep doing the things he loves and while he isn't playing as many sports, he has become an avid watcher of sports and has mastered playing video games and using his phone with one hand.
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Diagnosis
At eight years old, TJ failed the eye exam at school and it was discovered by the optometrist that his left eye had little to no movement when looking left and recommended an MRI of the brain to see what was going on. His family wasn't too concerned, he had complained before about his vision and it became difficult to hold a pen during homework but what kid wants to do homework? Little did they know that it was so much more than a kid being a kid.
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During this MRI, it was discovered that T.J. had a tumor located in his brain stem. On December 15th, 2017, his family realized that T.J. would no longer get to experience the innocence of childhood. It was on this day, when TJ was diagnosed with DIPG, that a happy, outgoing 8-year-old had to leave his childhood behind and become an adult. TJ began radiation therapy in hopes of shrinking his tumor growth and regaining eye movement and balance.
Fast forward six years; TJ not only beat the odds of this horrible disease and is part of the less than 5% of children who make it past 18 months but, he continues fighting this horrible disease and has blown the odds out of the water by being the less than 1% of children who have made it past the 5-year mark. TJ has endured multiple clinical trials, two rounds of radiation and more ups and downs than his mom can count.
From Rachel, "Hope is a feeling you lose when you hear the words DIPG coming out of your child’s doctors’ mouth and it’s something no parent should ever have to experience but, just know if ever those words have to be spoken to you, there is hope, there is a chance and the odds may just be in your favor. And if you do hear the words DIPG or know someone who is going through this, mention T.J., mention this amazing, wonderful, beautiful boy who is beating the odds and somehow, someway brought HOPE back into our lives."
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TJ and Rachel are living proof that hope exists even in what the world calls hopeless and the Archer Foundation is proud to support them while TJ keeps knocking those odds out of the park!
