Alex Miller

Alex lost his ability to hear due to tinnitus about two months before he graduated high school in 2012. He attended his first semester of college without understanding anything unless it was written down. In February 2013 frustrated by the lack of answers as to what would cause an otherwise healthy young man to lose his hearing, I brought him to the University of Minnesota where he saw a specialist who sent him for an MRI in March. That day changed all our lives forever.
There is no feeling like the one as you wait for the radiologist to come talk to you after the tech has informed you there should be a consult. We were led into a small room and I sat on a stool, Alex sat in a chair on my right and a man began to draw a picture with a black marker and try to explain to us the tumor in my child’s head. I don’t remember what he said, but I can still see the picture he drew. We were immediately brought to the ER for the resident Neurologist to view the MRI. When she came in she told me Alex had Neurofibromatosis type 2. I had no idea what that was.
Less than a month later Alex went in for about 36 hours of surgery to debulk the tumor on his left side which severed the nerve but relieved a tremendous amount of inter-cranial pressure. He spent three weeks in the ICU before receiving his shunt which kept him for another week then several months in rehab. Through all this he continued to keep in touch with his professors during his rehab and finished classes over the summer. He still heard nothing.
Six months after surgery he began to receive treatments. He is now almost done with his fourth year of college, lives on campus and walks to his treatments every other week to help keep the numerous tumors stable and help him hear out of his right ear again.
This battle inside him rages on and the only thing I can do as his mother is fight to find a cure. HE IS MY SON, MY HERO!