Ben’s return: From St. Jude brain cancer treatment to tennis court comeback

The memory from summer 2023 comes back to Teresa like a flash sometimes, so it’s never quite in the past: Teresa and her 14-year-old twin sons, Ben and Will, are sitting in the car by the tennis courts near their home in Georgia. Her cell phone ID flashes with a call from the ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor. 

“OK, hop out. Let me grab this call,” she tells the boys.

So, the boys grab their tennis bags and head toward the courts for practice. They are laughing and turn to wave goodbye, and she waves back. They disappear.

They were as healthy looking as two boys could be. She sees everything now for the gift it was.

“I can still see the boys turning around and waving,” Teresa said, “and I did not know that was going to be one of the last normal times for us.”

What the ENT doctor relays next changes everything. Ben had undergone an MRI. The muffled hearing in Ben’s right ear — thought to be swimmer’s ear, or nerve damage from an old ear infection — was caused by a brain tumor.

Teresa drove to a parking lot and “completely lost it,” she said. She called her husband, Kevin, who was away for work.

“I need you to come home,” Teresa said. “They found something in Ben’s brain, and we’re going to need to tell him.”

Last game

Ben underwent surgery at his local hospital to resect the brain tumor. He was diagnosed with WNT activated medulloblastoma, a subtype of one of the most common cancerous brain tumors in children, and he would need ongoing treatment. Ben’s parents researched his diagnosis. This research led them to Amar Gajjar, MD, at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® in Memphis, Tennessee. Gajjar has authored many articles with an interest in innovative protocols for the treatment of childhood brain tumors, including medulloblastoma.

Over more than 35 years at St. Jude, Gajjar has been a pioneer in developing risk-adapted therapies for medulloblastoma. The goals for these therapies are to maximize cure rates while minimizing long-term side effects to enhance the quality of life for patients. The Neuro-Oncology Division at St. Jude, which was led by Gajjar for more than two decades, has worked to tailor treatment based on the individual patient’s risk profile. A patient’s risk profile is based on tumor biology and molecular composition, including disease subtype, as well as other clinical features.

Ben’s family appreciated what this tailored approach could mean for Ben’s quality of life.

They received a referral to St. Jude, where the brain tumor team came up with a non-protocol treatment plan particular to Ben’s needs based on his previous surgery and what would best protect him from neurological damage. He underwent two months of chemotherapy and then received proton beam radiatiotherapy to his brain and spine. He completed treatment in May of 2024, and his scans show no evidence of tumor recurrence or spread.

But before Ben ever came to St. Jude — when his family was still in their initial moment of alarm, when they knew he had a brain tumor but didn’t know anything else yet, when the world felt very dark — he still wanted to play tennis despite the uncertainty and fear that had descended on his entire family in summer 2023.

With the brain tumor in his head, cleared by his doctor in Georgia, Ben competed with Will in a national tennis doubles competition in Texas — and won. 

That’s how good they were together. 

“Seeing them both out there on that court together and knowing that they might not have that chance again,” Teresa said. “You have so many thoughts.”

It’s twins

Another of Teresa’s memories, an earlier one: of a doctor holding up his fingers as he counts, “One. Two.”

Teresa and Kevin focused on their careers before trying for children. When they were ready, they struggled with pregnancy and sought medical help. Soon, Teresa was pregnant. At an ultrasound, the doctor said, “I hope you can count,” and then counted, “One. Two.” They realized they were having twins, one of the happiest moments of their lives. 

Ben has always been the more introspective of the brothers, and Will, the more outgoing one.  They were inseparable and a perfect complement to each other.

Kevin had played professional tennis in Europe, so the boys were naturally drawn to the sport, but “If we really break it down and talk about who’s the greatest influence, it’s probably each other,” Kevin said. 

“They’re each other’s greatest influence times squared.” 

As the family's life centered around tennis and their close-knit bond, the unexpected diagnosis brought a sudden and profound change to their shared routine.

While Will and Kevin stayed behind in Georgia to continue with school and work, Ben and Teresa moved into St. Jude housing for the duration of his treatment. 

There were many visits, but “It was really hard on both boys — and all of us,” Kevin said. 

Relentless

Ben’s parents arranged for a college tennis player to practice with Ben during treatment. But when Ben played with him for the first time, Ben knew he wasn’t himself. He felt weak. His strokes lacked his normal power and precision. 

“I think that was the first glimpse for me as a mom that cancer is relentless, and treatment is relentless,” Teresa said.

Chemotherapy made Ben queasy and changed the taste of food. He lost a lot of weight.

“He was worried because he knew he had to stay strong to beat this thing, and he was determined to find ways to keep eating. This was a huge challenge and anxiety point during treatment,” Teresa said.

Ben decided to stop tennis training until his treatment ended. This was not capitulation. Just a realist understanding his body had changed for a period of time.

“He was upset but not discouraged,” Kevin said. “He held on to the fact that as he got a little bit stronger and a little bit healthier, he would be right back out there.”

Greatest group

At St. Jude, a community of support lifted Ben.

“He’s holding a vomit bag, and staff in the hallway are comforting him, and somehow they know his name,” Teresa recalled.

Each day that Ben came for proton beam radiotherapy, three staff members sang songs about how he’d crush that day’s procedure. 

“Ben, Ben, Ben, gonna do it again!” The women would sing.

“He’s getting ready to have radiation to his brain, and he’s laughing,” Teresa said. “These beautiful ladies made that happen.”

Ben attended the St. Jude Imagine Academy by Chili’s for his freshman year of high school, earning honors and AP credits. 

Knowledge was like armor to Ben that warded off anxiety. So, when his physicians talked with him in depth about his treatment, it was good for his well-being. He asked his radiation tech and radiologist: How does proton beam radiotherapy work? What does it do to the bad cells versus the good cells? What are the chances of secondary cancers? 

“They looked him in the eye and explained every question he had,” Teresa said.   

When Ben celebrated his No More Chemo party at St. Jude, his room filled with a rotating group of doctors, nurses and therapists — more than 30 in Teresa’s estimate. Many weren’t directly assigned to Ben, but they still stopped by to wish Ben well.

“The people at St. Jude are the greatest group of human beings that we’ve ever been around as a collective,” Kevin said.

Journey back

Back home, Ben still had a tough road.

“Ben couldn’t climb the stairs without holding on,” Teresa said. 

He created goals to rebuild strength. His first aim: to walk to the nearby cul-de-sac, six houses away. 

“He would either be throwing up on the walk, or he physically could not do it,” Teresa said.  

Over time, Ben walked farther. He and Kevin began hiking to help Ben find his balance on uneven terrain. “We would catch him doing lunges in the kitchen,” Teresa said. “Or swinging his racket to get his stroke production back.”

By July of 2024, three months after completing treatment, Ben resumed tennis practice. He didn’t have the stamina for the entire three-hour practice, so he participated for 30 minutes instead. “Not at full capacity, but just to make it through,” Teresa said. 

During his first tournament back, he paused during a match to throw up but made it to the semifinals. Since then, he’s played in more than 10 tournaments. 

“You pray your kids have the courage, stamina, faith and all the things to get through it,” Teresa said, “and he did.”

Serving others

While Ben and Will were separated, each became more like the other. 

Will became more thoughtful, wondering if it was OK to be happy and still play tennis while his brother was sick and couldn’t. 

“There were hours of time just explaining things to Will during car rides to school,” Kevin said. “I'm just so proud that Will stayed very strong, and he was always there for his brother.”

Ben grew in boldness as he faced adult fears.

Ben has gained weight and grown five inches taller since treatment ended to catch up to his brother. 

Outwardly, a person wouldn’t know he’d ever been sick, but inwardly, Ben’s faith in God and intellectualism have made him ask: What good can come out of cancer? How best can I serve?

“Our son is a different person, a better person, not only because of the experience, but also because of the environment that St. Jude provided,” Kevin said.

Ben has raised more than $6,000 in toys and gift cards for other St. Jude families.

In December of 2024, fewer than eight months after completing cancer treatment, Ben ran the 10K at the St. Jude Memphis Marathon® Weekend with his team, Ben’s Brain Gang, raising more than $7,000 for St. Jude. 

Will was by his side. The fraternal twins are identical in their determination to help others.

Despite the hard separation, Ben and Will have arrived at the same place. Not a finish but a starting line in life, marking what kind of men they will become. 

Read Ben's mom, Teresa's story.