A Florida teen who was initially misdiagnosed with the flu says he later discovered his aches and fever were symptoms of stage-four cancer.
Hunter Brady began to feel weak back in November, so he visited his pediatrician, who said he was likely suffering from influenza. The 16-year-old left the Tampa-area clinic with instructions to “let the virus run its course,” according to a YouCaring page.
But weeks later, when his health hadn’t improved, he was rushed to the emergency room, where doctors determined he didn’t have the flu, news station WTFS reported.
“We weren’t aware at the time his right lung was collapsed and his left lung was 30 percent collapsed,” his mom, Cheryl Brady, told WFTS. “He was having trouble breathing.”
In addition, a CAT scan revealed he had severely swollen lymph nodes and a large amount of fluid in his lungs, according to his YouCaring page.
Following a round of tests, doctors diagnosed the teen with late-stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma — a form of cancer that starts in white blood cells and affects the body’s immune system.
His family said he is now fighting cancer at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, where he is being treated with chemotherapy. The teen has also undergone a bone marrow biopsy, blood transfusion and had surgeries to remove fluid from his chest, WTFS reported.
“I had chest tubes, and they took out all the liquid,” he told the news station. “I feel a lot better now.”