Sixteen-year-old Hunter Brady was told in November he had the flu, but his illness turned out to be stage 4 cancer that was revealed a few weeks later after his lung collapsed.
Brady, who lives near Tampa, Florida, said the “flu” just wasn’t getting better and he was waking up with night sweats. His family finally took him to the hospital and doctors discovered the collapsed lung and swollen lymph nodes in January, The Washington Post reported.
“As it carried on, I felt worse,” Brady said, the Post reported.
Doctors then diagnosed Brady with stage 4B Hodgkin's Lymphoma, which means the disease had advanced and spread beyond the lymph nodes to other parts of the body.
The teen has undergone a bone marrow biopsy, had chemotherapy, and had the fluid drained from his chest, the Post reported. He also had to have a blood transfusion.
“I feel better now,” Brady said. “Everybody else’s support helped me get this far. Without them, I don’t know where I’d be.”
Brady added that he is being mentored by two pastors and believes God is with him.
“I’m doing good. I’m going to beat it. I ain’t giving up,” he said, the Post reported.
Dozens of friends and family members have shaved their heads in solidarity with Brady, who has been attacked by bullies on social media, one of whom told him he deserved the cancer, Fox8 reported.
Brady’s family has started a YouCaring fundraiser to help with medical costs for his treatments.
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