- A Utah mother and her 4-year-old son were diagnosed with cancer one hour apart.
- Britney McRae has gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, while son Jamon has ependymoma.
- The family faces challenges with treatment, logistics and emotional struggles, but remains hopeful.
OREM — A Utah native and her 4-year-old son are facing the unimaginable: They were both diagnosed with cancer on the same day, just one hour apart.
Britney McRae, a mother of three, and her son Jamon learned of their diagnoses last month.
Jamon has a rare pediatric brain tumor called ependymoma, while McRae is battling gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, a cancer that developed after a molar pregnancy.
"My wife's (cancer) actually has a pretty good cure rate," husband and father Jake McRae said. "My son's is not as good a cure rate, but we're kind of hopeful that he falls into the good percentage range of that."
Britney and Jake McRae both grew up and met in Orem. Jake McRae's job as a medical doctor moved them to Medford, Oregon, most recently.
The family lives six hours from the nearest children's hospital. Jake McRae travels between Stanford, California, and Portland, Oregon, for Jamon's care. His other two children, a 7-year-old and a 1-year-old, are being cared for by his grandparents.
Jamon, described as funny and cuddly, began suffering headaches before tests revealed the tumor.
"The subtype he has is not the good one," Jake McRae said.
He said Britney McRae experienced a molar pregnancy around the same time.
"She was about eight weeks pregnant, went in to get an ultrasound, and when they did the first ultrasound, they're like, 'We don't see anything that looks like a baby at all. It's mostly like cysts,'" Jake McRae said. "And her blood levels that check if you're pregnant are kind of off the charts, which was concerning. And then she ended up going to get surgery to get everything out, like a D&C, and it came back as a molar pregnancy. And then there's a very small chance that the molar pregnancies will develop into what's called GTN, which is like a cancer."
After two surgeries, Jamon is struggling with double vision and difficulty swallowing.
Extended family in Utah is heartbroken.
"It's just unimaginable that both of them, within such a short period of time," said Elaine Allred, Britney McRae's grandmother. "It was like I entered a world that I didn't recognize."
Sister-in-law Chantal McRae said the family was all together back in September. They had no idea this was coming.
"I feel like none of us really felt like it was real at first," McRae said. "We've all been really, really struggling with the emotions and being so far away from them and the inability to be there for them physically and support them through this."
Brother-in-law Kyson Clegg said the family's faith is helping them.
"It's been difficult to reconcile the loving God that we believe in with this suffering of Jamon, but through it all, our faith is going to get us through it," he said. "I believe in the kid. He's a tough little kid. He's a fighter."
Britney McRae's sister, Amber Bateman, said McRae and Jamon's bond is special.
"With her treatments, it definitely pulls her away," Bateman said. "So many times he'll just be laying in bed and he's like, 'Mom, where are my cuddles? Where are my snuggles?' And Jake (McRae) will be like, 'Can I snuggle?' He's like, 'No. I need mom snuggles.'"
Jake McRae said it's hard to be on this side of illness and hospitalization.
"Jamon is kind of getting to the point where he's sick of being poked and prodded and all the things that they do. And the first question he asks is, 'Are they going to hurt me?' As a dad, it's so hard to see this," he said.
Allred said Britney McRae and Jake McRae are staying strong for their children.
"Britney always has a smile on her face, even with the news," Allred said. "I admire Jake for being able to hold it together. And, it's a big responsibility. And it's tough seeing people that you love go through such a terrible experience."
Britney McRae's brother launched a GoFundMe* to help with travel costs and missed work. The family hopes Jamon regains enough strength to enjoy a sweet treat by Christmas.
"He's just the biggest lover," Chantal McRae said. "He's hilarious. He's so funny. … It's really hard to see him going through this."
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
