After surgery for a brain tumor, Jenny is moving ahead — and giving back

“It might sound weird,” says Jenny Eckert, “but I’m very grateful that I got hit in the face with a soccer ball.”

A year and a half ago, Jenny, then 9, was playing soccer when she accidentally took a hit to the head — twice. Concerned about a possible concussion, her parents, Vanessa and Scott, brought to her local emergency room in Los Angeles. But the family was unprepared for the results of her CT scan, which showed a cyst in her brain. Further testing revealed something even more insidious: a type of tumor called a glioma, located deep in her brain.

“At first, I didn’t really know how serious it was,” Jenny admits. “Most doctors speak a language that kids don’t understand. But I asked a lot of questions — and then I realized that it wouldn’t get better without surgery.”

Lots of questions — and answers

Although the Eckerts initially looked locally for care, the conflicting opinions they received led them to find a tie-breaker from outside California: Dr. Lissa Baird, co-director of the Brain Tumor Center at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.

“Dr. Baird did a phenomenal job of reviewing our case through telemedicine and recommended moving ahead with surgery at an early stage,” says Scott. “We were told she’s one of the best pediatric neurosurgeons in the world, so we were willing to travel across the country for Jenny’s care.”

When the family met Dr. Baird in person, they felt even more confident in their decision. “We allowed Jenny to be in the driver’s seat so she could talk directly with Dr. Baird,” says Vanessa. Like her parents, Jenny had a lot of questions, including what the surgery would involve, how many similar procedures Dr. Baird had performed, and if she would experience any side effects.

“Dr. Baird spent so much time answering those questions and established a wonderful rapport with Jenny,” says Vanessa.

‘Above and beyond’

Before she underwent surgery, however, Jenny had important business to attend to back in L.A.: a Halloween party, where she dressed as a midnight sorceress and scored big when she successfully broke a candy-filled pinata.

Then, it was back to Boston. On the morning of her surgery, Jenny says she “felt discombobulated and scared about having my head cut open, even though I knew Dr. Baird had probably done this about a gajillion times.” But seeing photos of her community back home supporting her by wearing “Team Jenny” shirts warmed her heart.

For their part, Vanessa and Scott waited anxiously — “the most stressed we’ve ever been.”

The surgery was a success, but Jenny endured an initially rough recovery period when she discovered she’s allergic to oxycodone-based pain medicine. The Eckerts say they were impressed when Dr. Baird stopped by later the next night to check in on her. “It was about 10 p.m. and we knew she had been in surgery for hours,” says Scott. “But she still stayed to talk with us. It seemed above and beyond.”

Paying it forward

Today, Jenny and her parents are back home — but their relationship with Dr. Baird and her team hasn’t ended. “It felt like time froze for us when Jenny was diagnosed,” explains Vanessa. “Now that we’re back to everyday life, we really appreciate that we’ll have this relationship with such a kickass doctor for annual check-ins over the next 10 years. She’s a great role model for Jenny.”

The family has also found her to be accessible when questions come up. “You’d think a top brain surgeon needs to sleep and needs some free time,” says Jenny. “But she responds right away.”

Jenny is busy, too. She’s back to playing soccer, along with basketball, running, and swimming — but also loves reading, creating art, and acting in her school play. (“I like to play sports, but I’m not sporty,” she clarifies.) Now 11, she’ll start middle school in the fall.

She’s also determined to continue the spirit of giving back that her “Team Jenny” community offered when she needed it. After a big party meant to thank her friends and family was rained out last year, she turned down the opportunity to reschedule it. Instead, she chose to host a blood drive at her local temple.  

“I wanted to pay that support forward,” she says.

Learn more about the Brain Tumor Center.