Community Rallies Around Janson

8-year-old prepares for treatment after rare brain tumor diagnosis

By Robert Jordan
Daily Record of Dunn

HARNETT COUNTY, N.C. – Eight-year-old Janson Herring is a baseball player, a third grader and, according to his grandmother, the kid most likely to make everyone else laugh.

Those things have not changed, even as his family confronts a rare brain tumor diagnosis that changed nearly everything else in a matter of days.

“He loves to make everybody laugh,” Sheila Herring said. “He’s a very comical kid and he’s still that comical kid right now. He’s just keeping us laughing.”

Janson, a third-grader at American Leadership Academy Johnston in Clayton who will turn 9 in December, has been diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG, according to his family.

The tumor is located in the pons near the brain stem and cannot be surgically removed, the family said. Janson is being treated through Duke Children’s Hospital & Health Center as his family prepares for radiation therapy and explores the possibility of a clinical trial.

Herring said final pathology results were still pending to confirm the precise tumor type and guide the next steps in his treatment.

The journey began with what initially appeared to be clumsiness.

Herring said Janson’s mother began noticing unusual symptoms. He had difficulty holding objects and appeared to stumble over his feet.

Within days, the changes became more pronounced.

His speech began to slur. One side of his mouth drooped. He began walking toward his left.

“He was still happy-go-lucky, no clue about anything, but his speech was getting more slurred,” Herring said.

During a family trip that weekend, the symptoms worsened. When Janson called his grandmother from the car to tell her he had eaten at Chick-fil-A, she immediately noticed the change in his speech.

“I thought I was talking to a little baby, you know, a young toddler,” she said.

“I mean, it was quick.”

Looking back, the family now wonders whether there had been earlier, subtler signs.

Herring recalled Janson recently struggling while pitching in baseball. He was unable to throw as he normally would and sometimes moved or fell toward one side.

“If you look back, if you really wanted to, you might have seen some very subtle, not-in-your-face signs,” she said.

For now, Herring said, Janson is receiving steroids to help manage his symptoms. The family expects the next phase of treatment to include approximately six weeks of radiation at Duke.

Beyond that, they are researching clinical trials and hope Janson may eventually qualify for an experimental treatment in Seattle.

“We’re looking to go to Seattle,” Herring said. “Our goal is to get to Seattle and be that first person that says, ‘We got this.’”

Janson’s parents have remained at his side, leaving them unable to work while facing medical, travel and everyday household expenses.

The response from family, friends and the community has been immediate.

Meals and groceries have poured in. Herring joked that the family has received so much food she needs another refrigerator, freezer and pantry.

An online GoFundMe campaign has also drawn hundreds of donations to help Janson’s family with medical expenses, travel and household costs while his parents focus on his care.

As the family looks toward prolonged treatment and the possibility of traveling across the country, Herring said financial assistance will become increasingly important.

“At this point, money is what will make this happen for Janson,” she said.

The diagnosis has changed daily life for the entire family.

Herring said Janson has a 16-year-old brother and a 6-year-old sister. His younger sister knows something is wrong but is still trying to understand what is happening to her brother.

Duke has provided the family with child-oriented materials to help explain Janson’s illness and has offered support for his siblings and other family members, Herring said.

Janson now uses a wheelchair to help him get around at home.

Even that has not taken away the personality his grandmother says has always defined him.

“He’s stubborn, and he thinks he can get up,” Herring said. “He thinks it’s funny at this point because he goes wobbly.”

Those moments have become especially valuable for a family suddenly navigating doctors, treatment decisions and uncertainty.

“He’s just got a heart of gold,” Herring said. “He’s a people pleaser. He doesn’t want anybody to be sad. He doesn’t want anybody to be hurt.”

She said Janson’s concern for everyone around him is now helping give the adults strength.

“By him not wanting to see us hurt, it gives us strength,” she said.

For the family, the goal is to pursue available treatment while preserving as much of Janson’s childhood and quality of life as possible.

“We want him to continue to have a wonderful life with a terrible diagnosis,” Herring said.

And when people hear that Janson has cancer, his grandmother hopes they understand that the diagnosis is not his identity.

“That’s not who he is,” she said.

“He’s our superhero.”