Boy with Tumor Says He 'Wants to Treasure Every Day'

Proud father Reza Sadaghiani has brought his son, Sirous, home from the hospital. Sirous is not a newborn baby, but an 8-year-old boy battling a rare brain tumor. Sirous, who was diagnosed last fall with a malignant brain tumor called Gliomatosis Cerebri, recently returned home to Dublin after spending months in the hospital at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital enduring radiation and chemotherapy for his inoperable brain tumor.

According to Sadaghiani, Sirous' prognosis has not changed but he has responded better than expected to the treatment.

"He experienced a seizure on the Sunday after we came home," he said. "We wanted to make sure something was not changing so they took us from the local hospital to monitor Sirous. On Feb. 15, he finished his treatment of radiation and chemo for six weeks. He has a two-to-three week resting period to let his body get back to normal condition. Once he does we can better know his condition."

Sadaghiani sadly admits that it will be a miracle for Sirous to shatter that statistics stacked against him but his father believes has the power to do it. Although the severity of the condition still exists, he says Sirous has the met the goals set for him medically and that he does things the medical experts did not expect- like move around fairly easily.

Sadaghiani added that the tenacious little Sirous has never complained during this ordeal.

"He is such an amazing kid," Sadaghiani commented. "He has never complained... he is always a happy guy, always a smile. I would think some kids might ask 'why' but he has never asked."

Sadaghiani repeatedly said he wanted to convey his thanks and the family's appreciation at the outpouring of support for Sirous.

"We would like to express our appreciation and thanks to the community," he said. "It has been so overwhelming. It is just amazing. It could happen to any kid. We want the community to think of themselves as super-heroes because they have claimed Sirous as their own."
 
The Dublin community has pulled together to support Sirous, a third grader at John Green Elementary and the Sadaghiani family may times since the diagnosis, by creating a meal train to deliver food to the family and with a variety of fundraisers around town.

Sadaghiani wrote, via email:

"We extend our gratitude to you and everyone who has been following Sirous and his journey which has so much pain and endurance teaching all of lesson. It surely gives a prospect in life that would never take each moment for granted! I hope no one ever should face such circumstances in their life. There is no regiment out there to prepare one for it. But never under estimate the power come from God and people who truly care about such a sweet angel boy!"

When describing his son, Sadaghiani says the little boy has a "gravitation like no one else."

"He enjoys his sister and brother and they have been enjoying giggling together," Sadaghiani said. "He is not sad. He is content. His theme for today was that he 'always wants to treasure every day.' He has milestones. One of them is to be strong enough to go outside to fly his helicopter one of these days."

Folllow Sirous on Facebook. Learn more about fundraisers and the meal train for the Sadaghiani family.

• Boy With Brain Tumor Comes Home After Months in Hospital
• Vito's Express Hosting Fundraiser for Dublin Boy Fighting Cancer
• Fundraiser Draws Community to Support Boy With Cancer
• Sixth Grader Selling Bracelets to Benefit 8-Year-Old Friend with Brain Tumor
• Rockin' Jump Benefit for Boy with Brain Tumor

Are you following Sirous on Facebook? Give him a shout out in the comments section below.