Boy Gets Cancer Diagnosis Two Weeks After Identical Twin Succumbs to Brain Tumor

A family of twin boys are left saddened and heartbroken after one 15-year-old twin gets leukemia shortly after the other twin succumbed to a brain tumor.

According to Daily Mail, the doctors first thought that twin Jack Parton got PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder after his brother passed away last 2019. However, later on, they discovered that he had cancer in the blood.

Metro shares that Julie Parton, the mother of the twins, expressed how the news that her living son got diagnosed with leukemia was heartbreaking. She, however, holds hope that Jack's leukemia case is curable-unlike the case of Ben, the other twin who had passed away.

First Twin Succumbs to "Glioblastoma" Cancer

Ben succumbed to cancer last 2019 just ten days before Christmas. Before his passing, he underwent two surgeries, two whole chemotherapy cycles, and 30 radiotherapy sessions.

Eight months before experiencing intense headaches and puking, Ben got diagnosed with glioblastoma. This type of cancer is aggressive and progressive. It hits the brain and the spinal cord. Though the condition can be found across all ages, it tends to affect older adults, as noted by Mayo Clinic.

His CT scan results later revealed that a tumor mass was found on his brain. By then, he reportedly had less than two years remaining.

Two Weeks After Death, Other Twin Gets Leukemia

Just two weeks after the funeral, leukemia was diagnosed in Jack, the surviving twin.

Mayo Clinic notes that leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the tissues that form blood. These include the lymphatic system as well as the bone marrow. White blood cells, which are strong fighters of infections, are usually involved in the condition. In the bodies of those diagnosed with the condition, the bone marrow usually comes up with too many abnormal white blood cells that do not function well.

Daily Mail notes how Jack's mother expressed how Jack is coping well and is close to the end of his cancer treatment. She shares how she feels honored and privileged to be his mother.

She also mentions how Ben and Jack complemented each other to some extent. She notes how Jack is quite feisty while Ben is the laid-back type.

According to the Nottingham Post, Jack is participating in the "Wear A Christmas Hat Day" event of the Brain Tumor Research. He is doing so to commemorate his brother.

Daily Mail notes that the community development manager of Brain Tumor Research, Mel Tiley, expressed how Ben's case was quite devastating and that they are thankful for how Ben's mother shared his story with the team.

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