How One Family Faced a Rare Cancer Diagnosis—Twice

When 14-year-old Sergio left the Cancer and Blood Disease Institute at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in 2021, his mom Rosalba told him, “This is it. We’re never coming back again.”

To leave treatment—and never return—is every parent’s dream after watching their child go through cancer. But in October of 2024, Sergio’s cancer came back. And by January of 2025, the unimaginable happened: Sergio’s 11-year-old brother, Andy, was diagnosed with the same brain tumor.

As siblings do best, the boys supported one another through a grueling schedule of scans, chemotherapy, radiation, and hospital stays. Again, CHLA became Sergio’s—and now Andy’s—second home.

This past June, the boys made a more celebratory memory together at CHLA: They rang the bell in a joint “end of treatment” ceremony. Their care team members gathered to congratulate them, say goodbye, and award them their very own end-of-treatment medals.

“We were waiting for that day,” recalls Rosalba. “It was this incredibly hard thing they both went through together, so it was amazing to see them both ring the bell. It was a relief for all of us.” 

Sergio and Andy: brothers, best friends 

“They’re so different!” is often the first thing you hear when loved ones are asked how they’d describe Sergio, now 18 (more reserved; responsible; a star student), and Andy, 11 (more outgoing; a goofball even in the hardest times).

Even with a 7-year age gap, the boys are inseparable. “I always wanted a younger brother when I was younger, and I try to influence him to do the right thing and be a good role model,” Sergio says.

There’s currently no traceable genetic basis for this type of cancer, so the fact that two members of the same family got it is even more rare, explains Ashley Margol, MD, MS, Director of the Brain Tumor Center. “We don't yet know why these two got it,” she says. “We think there's probably some underlying genetic reason, but research hasn’t yet identified the cause for these patients.”

Pediatric brain tumors: a needle in a haystack

Pediatric brain tumors have distinct characteristics and require different treatment from adult tumors. Clinicians in the Brain Tumor Center, one of the nation’s largest pediatric neuro-oncology programs, frequently see rare cancers that others may encounter once in their lifetime.

Dr. Margol explains that since brain tumors are uncommon and early symptoms can mimic other illnesses, it can take patients a while before they reach the right specialist.

This was Sergio’s experience in 2020: After enduring several months of headaches and vomiting with no clear answers, his doctors ordered an MRI and found a mass on his brain. They suggested he go to CHLA, where pediatric neurosurgeon Mark Krieger, MD, performed a specialized biopsy that revealed his diagnosis. Sergio would need chemotherapy and targeted radiation to shrink the tumor and bring his cancer into remission.

At CHLA, patients work with Clement Cheung, MD, PhD, one of only a handful of pediatric neuroendocrinologists in the country, to safely manage any current or anticipated effects of treatment with hormone therapy.

“For germinomas, you really need a center with multiple specialists who see a high volume of pediatric neuro-oncology patients,” says Dr. Margol. “Diagnosis and treatment are not always straightforward.” 

Two shocking diagnoses 

While Sergio’s first round of treatment in 2020 and 2021 succeeded in eliminating his tumor, he experienced a recurrence in his neck in 2024 and needed to resume treatment on a much more aggressive, targeted regimen.

It was around the same time Andy began experiencing symptoms that weren’t immediately troubling but warranted a visit to the pediatrician.

Though his bloodwork initially came back normal, doctors recommended an MRI. That’s when they found two tumors and referred Andy to a local specialist with a familiar name. “As soon as I heard that doctor’s name, I knew it was cancer again,” says Rosalba. The specialist recommended that Rosalba take Andy straight to CHLA, where Sergio was already being treated.

Sergio and Andy face cancer together 

When Andy was diagnosed, Sergio recalls feeling a sense of responsibility to help prepare him for what he was about to go through.

“He just hugged Andy and told him everything was gonna be OK,” says Rosalba. “And I think that really helped Andy to believe everything would be OK, because his brother was.”

Sergio jumped right into explaining everything he could to his brother about treatment. “I had a sense that I knew what he was going to go through,” he says. 

“When I went through treatment the first time, I felt kind of blindsided. I’d never even had an MRI before. I didn’t know the terminology or anything, so I wanted to share as much as I could with Andy.”

“Andy would look to Sergio a lot when I would explain what was coming,” recalls Dr. Margol. “He was always kind of seeking out Sergio for support.”

“He would tell me what the doctors are gonna do and then help me to calm down,” says Andy.

End-of-treatment milestones

Sergio completed his final round of treatment in March of 2025, but when it was time for Andy to complete his treatment in June of 2025, Sergio’s care team invited him back to the hospital so the boys could celebrate together.

The end-of-treatment ceremony is a special tradition reserved for all patients in the Cancer and Blood Disease Institute. 

It’s a key moment for everyone on a patient’s care team to gather and celebrate them—and also an opportunity to say a few bittersweet goodbyes.

“They treat you like family,” Rosalba says, recalling the hospitality the family received every time they came to the hospital. “Everyone is so nice there. It really did become our second home.”

The next chapter

Today, the boys enjoy newfound freedoms outside the hospital. Sergio, about to enter his freshman year of college, excels in math and science and dreams of pursuing a career in mechanical engineering. 

Andy, in his first year of middle school, has been enjoying getting to spend time with his friends after so much time away. 

“For Sergio, I hope and pray that all his dreams come true in this next chapter of life,” says Rosalba. “For Andy, I hope he barely remembers this time and can get back to just being a kid.” 

The boys have a long road ahead: Both are still regaining strength and stamina after rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, and both will need regular monitoring at CHLA through the LIFE Cancer Survivorship and Transition Service until they transition to adult care. 

This fall, they will spend more time apart than they have in years as Sergio heads off to college. But even in his absence, Sergio has found ways to remind Andy of his support: 

“He gave me his end-of-treatment medals,” Andy reveals. “Now I have three.”

(Newswise/TL)