Meet Noah – NUT Carcinoma Warrior

“The resources of support such as the NCCS…have been incredible,” said Noah’s mom.

Noah was living a typical teenage life until a month before his 14th birthday when his mom noticed a lump in his right cheek. What started as a marble-sized lump quickly grew at an alarming rate. After multiple doctors’ visits and scans, Noah was diagnosed with “NUT Carcinoma” –an extremely rare and aggressive cancer.

Noah’s parents were absolutely devastated when they learned the prognosis for their son’s cancer was very grim. The average survival rate for NUT Carcinoma is just seven to nine months after diagnosis.

Noah’s mom, Susan, didn’t know what to do or where to start. Because this type of cancer is so rare, a standard treatment protocol does not exist and there are not enough survivors to know what works. Despite this heartbreak, she knew that if anyone could beat this horrible cancer, it would be her brave son.

After a nine-hour surgery and lengthy recovery period, doctors discovered that the tumor still remained. Noah immediately started an aggressive treatment plan of chemotherapy and daily proton radiation, both located at treatment centers two hours away from home.

When Susan expressed her concern to their hospital social worker about the mounting treatment expenses, she was referred to the NCCS. Noah’s family received financial assistance from the Travel Assistance Fund to ensure that Noah made it to every appointment.

In addition to financial support, Noah’s parents found a lot of helpful information from the organization’s parent guide “The Other Side of the Mountain.” Noah also enjoyed the “I Can Move Mountains” activity book which provided fun and engaging things for him to do while he was in the hospital. All NCCS publications are free of charge and can be found here.

Throughout it all, Noah has continued to maintain an amazing attitude and fight this uphill battle like a champ.