Boy given 18 months to live: 'He prays at night: God, please heal me'

EUGENE, Ore. - Six-year-old Javon Simmons was a picture of health and happiness.

"He's always active and he's always running and wanting to ride his bike," said his father Jon Simmons.

So when he started having trouble walking in early October, his father became concerned.

"It really hits so fast and so quick," he said.

Javon had an MRI in Eugene, but doctors wanted to doublecheck what they saw.
    
So he went on an emergency trip to Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland. The trip turned into more than his family was ready to hear.

"They informed us that it was a DIPG which is a very rare type of brain tumor that is inoperable," Simmons said, "and at that point told us we had a short amount of time to be with him."

It was discovered Javon had a rare childhood brain stem cancer called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma.

"It's right down deep in the middle of his brain stem," said Simmons. "It's intermixed with the brain stem which makes it inoperable because of where it's located."

According to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, only 30 percent of children survive more than one year. Javon has less than 18 months to live.

"It was just really hard to accept that as a parent," said Simmons. "That's just something that, no parent should have to, you know, bury their child."

A week after his diagnosis, Javon was accepted into a clinical trial program at St. Jude's in Memphis, Tenn.

"I've kind of explained to him that he does have cancer. You know he prays at night and he mentions, dear God please heal me," said his father.

Javon receives daily radiation treatments and takes seven different medications according to his father.

Since hearing the news friends of the family have rallied support for Javon, hosting fundraisers at businesses across Eugene for his family.

"We'd do anything to help them," said family friend Danielle Uhlhorn. "To think of a 6-year-old having to deal with this type of brain cancer is heartbreaking."

For now, Jon says he's holding out hope that Javon will pull through. "He's a trooper, he's a strong kid."

Papa's Pizza will hold a fundraiser for Javon's family on Nov. 22. All the money raised will support his family's travel and medical costs.