Brian Rybarczyk is a 14 year old who has a rare syndrome that guarantees his body will never stop producing tumors. His cancer is incurable, and his future will inevitably be filled with scans finding more malignant growths, and risky surgeries to remove them.

Two years ago Brian noticed a lump in his neck, and tests revealed it to be cancerous. Brian had a complicated carotid artery bypass surgery at ECMC last August and was expected to make a full recovery. However, genetic testing revealed the diagnosis of Hereditary Paraganglioma-Pheochromocytoma Syndrome, the dreaded disease that had taken his father’s life before Brian had even been born.

Yet, he smiles. He is full of courage and faith. He is a great friend, brother, and son. He loves sushi, music, the Bills, working with animals, and he’d rather play video games than do his math.

Brian will fight this for the rest of his life. A scan at the end of January revealed two new tumors in his abdomen – one on his liver and the other nestled in a dangerous spot where the vena cava, aorta, and portal vein meet. Both tumors were successfully removed in March at Roswell with a high risk team standing by.

So, we celebrate that he is tumor-free for now, and we hold our breaths for his next scan.