Strength in Vulnerability: Creating a Teen Cancer Support Group after Brain Tumor Surgery

When Finn first received a brain cancer diagnosis at 16 years old, he shied away from support. One year later, he not only shared his story with peers but also created a program to provide support for others like him. 

Finn is the co-founder of “Brave Teens,” a support group for teenagers diagnosed with cancer. Twice a month, they meet at the Wellness House, an organization dedicated to cancer wellness in Hinsdale, Illinois. 

He wasn’t always so open. In the early months of his cancer treatment at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Finn did everything he could to hide his condition from his classmates, wearing a wig and a beanie to school every day during his chemotherapy treatments.  

“I was keeping everyone in the dark to try to keep some level of normalcy,” Finn said. 

Before he found the confidence to open up, he first had to navigate a diagnosis that would change his life. 

Discovering a Diagnosis 

In early 2025, Finn began experiencing frequent headaches. At first, he didn't think they were anything serious. In June, however, things began to change. After jumping into the pool on a family vacation, Finn resurfaced to find his vision was completely distorted. 

His father, Wayne, initially suspected an inner ear issue and tried a head-positioning maneuver he knew could help with vertigo. Afterward, Finn became extremely dizzy and vomited. Then, the symptoms seemed to fade. The family hoped the episode was behind them. 

Finn continued to experience headaches each morning throughout the trip. After returning home, those headaches intensified. The pain became so debilitating that he spent many of those days lying in a recliner with a heating pad pressed against his neck. When an appointment with an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist failed to identify the cause, the family was advised to schedule an MRI. 

The MRI couldn't wait. The next morning, Finn woke up in agony from another unbearable headache. His parents rushed him to an emergency room near their home, where a CAT scan revealed a 5-centimeter brain tumor causing intense fluid buildup.  

“It was shocking,” said Wayne.  

The following morning, Finn underwent emergency endoscopic brain surgery at a suburban hospital to relieve pressure from the fluid. A few days later, the family returned home to wait for the results of the biopsy. 

After nearly three weeks of waiting, Wayne called the nationally ranked Lurie Children’s Pediatric Brain Tumor Program for a second opinion. He immediately connected with nurse coordinator Wendy McDermott, who answered his questions and scheduled an appointment. 

Just a few hours later, the biopsy came back. It showed a high-grade pineoblastoma. 

What is Pineoblastoma? 

Pineoblastoma is an aggressive, fast-growing cancerous brain tumor that occurs in the pineal gland, a small structure near the center of the brain that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. Representing less than 1% of childhood brain tumors, pineoblastoma requires surgical removal as part of treatment 

Upon learning the severity of the diagnosis, the Lurie Children’s team arranged an earlier appointment for Finn. 

Finding Hope Through Lurie Children’s 

At Lurie Children’s, Wendy met with Finn separately while neurosurgeon Dr. Michael DeCuypere discussed the diagnosis with his parents.

“It allowed us to talk more comfortably and directly about what was going on,” Wayne said. “It was so well handled at that highly sensitive period. I’ll always be really grateful for it.” 

Dr. DeCuypere walked the family through the details of the surgery. Nervously, Wayne asked how much of the tumor could be removed. 

“He looked at me very seriously and said, ‘Oh, I’m going to get it all.” Wayne said. “That felt so good.” 

In the other room, Wendy was learning about one of the things Finn loved most — volleyball. She asked him what position he played (libero, a specialist in defense) and other questions about his everyday life. In between, she gave details about his treatment and what he could expect. 
 
“It made me feel more comfortable in this massive hospital,” Finn said. 

After that first appointment, the family decided that Lurie Children’s was the best place for Finn to be.  

Finn began two cycles of pre-operative chemotherapy to break up the tumor’s blood vessels before surgery to reduce the bleeding risk and make a safer surgery. The strategy was successful. After two months of chemotherapy, his MRI showed blood vessels had been broken up and a 40% reduction in tumor volume.

The Day of Surgery

In September 2025, over the course of nine and a half hours, Dr. DeCuypere carefully removed the tumor from Finn’s pineal gland. 

The team used Intraoperative MRI (iMRI) to view images of Finn’s brain during the procedure, helping guide the removal and reduce the risk of damaging other parts of the brain. After completing the initial resection, they re-entered the surgical field to meticulously shave away remaining suspicious tissue detected by the iMRI. 

Dr. DeCuypere came downstairs to share the good news in person — they got it all.  

“I gave him a big hug,” Wayne said. “I really saw the weight of the work that he does, and the decisions that he has to make for these kids. It shows that he cares. And that's really something.” 

Rallying in Recovery

Days went by before Finn regained his speech. Relief came when a physical therapist asked him one of his favorite questions: “What volleyball position do you play?” 

Finn answered with his first word since surgery: “Libero.”  

After a week of recovery at Lurie Children’s, he was referred by Dr. DeCuypere to Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital for two weeks of comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation.  

“Prior to that conversation, I had never even heard of a physical rehabilitation hospital,” Wayne said. “Those two weeks there were a real game changer for Finn's recovery.” 

Finn then continued physical therapy appointments three times a week while receiving six weeks of proton therapy at Northwestern Medicine Proton Center. Afterward, he returned to Lurie Children’s for five months of maintenance chemotherapy with Dr. Maggie Seblani. 

“She is so detail oriented and cares so much about the kids under her care,” Wayne said. 

Back at school, Finn’s volleyball team was shocked to find out about the surgery. They couldn’t believe that Finn had been going through the diagnosis without them by his side. 

“I wasn't feeling amazing about keeping everything to myself,” Finn said. “I realized I was hurting myself and other people, too.” 

His father connected Finn to a life coach, who helped him realize that vulnerability could be a source of strength. Finn began searching for an in-person cancer support group for teens but realized none were available locally.  

With the help of the Wellness House team, Finn founded Brave Teens. 

At Brave Teen meetings, Finn has seen peers come out of their shells. Kids who once never spoke a word now smile and text in a group chat together.

“There’s a level of empathy there,” Finn said. “Talking with kids that have gone through your experience is super nice. We do talk about the weight we feel, but we also talk about being a normal teen.”

Finn also attended Camp Quality and Camp One Step, two organizations that offer outdoor camping experiences for kids with cancer diagnoses. Through the camps, he grew his support system even further. 

A Summer of Support

On May 27, 2026, exactly 11 months after discovering the tumor, Finn rang the bell to celebrate the end of his cancer treatment. 

He spent the rest of summer making a difference. In addition to Brave Teens meetings, Finn also became a camp counselor at the Wellness House Kids Kamp, an annual weeklong camp for children who are affected by cancer. Helping others has given Finn a sense of belonging, purpose and community. 

That sense of community is something that Finn values throughout his life — even in volleyball.  

“In volleyball, you have to be connected to your team, because you can only touch the ball once,” Finn said. “That’s why I love it so much. You have to know the people on your team and trust them to succeed.” 

He encourages peers to use that team mentality in their cancer journeys, too. 

“Tell your parents, tell your close friends, tell your best friend,” Finn said. “Open up as you get more comfortable. Find a way to get out those feelings and emotions that you’re holding onto. That’s the best thing you can do for yourself.”