Nathaniel “Nat” Wimmer is a 13-year-old hero. And just like most superheroes, he’s had to overcome some obstacles.
When he was ten, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer called Medulloblastoma on Jan. 8, 2019. Two days later he underwent a 22-hour surgery to remove the brain tumor.
He spent three days on a ventilator in pediatric ICU. During the trial to take Wimmer off of the ventilator, he was unable to clear and protect his airway. He went into respiratory distress and his lung collapsed. The doctors re-intubated him right away, and he then spent close to a week on the ventilator once again.
Doctors weren’t sure Wimmer would be able to come off the ventilator.
So, his mother, Deziree Rivera and the rest of the family, were faced with the decision of giving him a tracheotomy. This is where a tube is inserted into the trachea which would allow Wimmer to breathe as well as safely come off the ventilator.
On Jan. 20, 2019, he had a 3 in 1 surgery; his trachea, a gastrostomy tube, and a chemo port.
And though surgeries, medication withdrawals and long nights in pediatric ICU overcame Wimmer and his family, his strength kept them all going.
Shortly after moving to the pediatric floor Wimmer began extensive rehabilitation to get his strength built back up. He had to re-learn how to do all basic human functions. He didn’t speak for almost two months after his initial surgery to remove the tumor. He also underwent six weeks of radiation and a year of chemotherapy.
But as of today, Wimmer remains almost three years with no evidence of disease.
He went from not being able to talk to having a wonderful sense of humor; from eating by tube to smashing some pizza. He walks around the house on his own, and only uses his walker for longer walks.
On Sunday, Dec. 19, Wimmer and his family were welcomed by the Central Missouri Dream Factory, a volunteer organization that grants wishes to children with terminal, chronic, physical and emotional disorders. Nancy Hanson was there to grant Wimmer’s wish.
His dream was to have a brand new Xbox Series X with new controllers and several games. And Hanson along with the Central Missouri Dream Factory made that happen just in time for Christmas.
