All Are Our Heroes

'I missed his smile.'

Jarod Mainland is a second grader, a UGA fanatic and, above all, a Medulla warrior. At only eight years old, Jarod is a small, but fierce combatant. He bears a tell-tale battle scar at the base of his head from brain surgery for rare Medulloblastoma cancer, all the more visible after the extended chemotherapy that’s done a number on his dark hair.

In September 2007, Jarod was having problems with severe headaches and vomiting. His parents, Rhonda and Larry, made trips to several doctors. "One thought it was a virus; another thought migraines," recalls Rhonda. Then Jarod started having vision trouble, and the Mainlands ended up in the ER. The diagnosis – a brain tumor.

"I was devastated. The floor fell out from under me, and I knew our whole world had changed," says Rhonda. Jarod was immediately admitted to the hospital where the tumor – all of it – was removed in a six-hour surgery. After surgery, says Rhonda, "his face was frozen -- he couldn’t close his eyes, he couldn’t close his mouth, talk or swallow, and couldn’t move his left side."

"That was the quietest my child has ever been in his life. I prayed for him to say anything… and I wanted to see his smile. I missed his smile. He has the prettiest, most infectious, sweetest smile you’ve ever known. But it wasn’t there."

After weeks in the hospital, Jarod was transferred to rehab, where "they worked miracles and gave us Jarod back." When he left after six weeks, Jarod could walk and talk. And although his speech is still labored, Jarod is eager to point out, "Now they can’t get me to be quiet."

2008 brought extensive rounds of chemo and radiation, with numerous hospital stays. Very tough treatment for Jarod; and tough to watch for Rhonda and Larry. "He is a very strong young man," says Mom. "He never complained."

This is a family that’s had its fill of cancer. Rhonda is a breast cancer survivor, now six years out. "But we’ve been lucky," she maintains. Jarod has finished his treatment and the post-treatment scans were all clear. "We’re now under surveillance," says Larry.

For most moments of the day, life is routine. A black toy poodle named Prissy has joined the household. Jarod, a young man who knows how to charm with few words, sums it all up, "She leaks everywhere."