The family of a young boy from New York who was diagnosed earlier this year with a rare and terminal brain cancer is asking members of the military, law enforcement, EMS and firefighting communities to send along “patches and prayers” as he continues his difficult battle.
John Francis Hoague-Rivette, 11, was diagnosed in May with a grade 3 Glioma tumor on his brain stem after experiencing months of mysterious symptoms, which began with difficulty walking, talking and eating and soon escalated into seizures-like episodes that would last for nearly an hour. John was first admitted to the Albany Medical Center in March where he underwent a series of scans. After a failed treatment for what doctors believed was an imbalance with his antibodies causing inflammation in the cerebellum, John’s health began to rapidly decline.