SYLVANIA, Ala. -- The saying, 'everything happens for a reason', is true when it comes to a Sylvania High School junior.
The sudden end to his football season, may have saved his life.
“You're looking at your 16-year-old son, who you love more than anything in the world, having to go through a surgery no 16-year-old should have to go through,” Danny Darwin said.
Danny’s son, Dylan Darwin, was looking forward to his junior season with the Sylvania Rams. But his season ended far too quickly.
“I got to play in one full game and four plays of the second game,” Dylan said.
On Sept. 2, Dylan was on kick-off return. He collided with a player from Section and suffered a concussion.
“Over a two-week time, I never did get much better,” Dylan said. “My family doctor did at CT scan and found something that wasn't supposed to be there.”
“It's something that he could live with if it didn't grow anymore,” Danny said. “It quickly went from a cyst to a benign tumor.”
The MRI revealed a tumor the size of a large egg on Dylan's brain stem.
“[The doctors] said more than likely I would've been dead by my senior year,” Dylan said.
The Darwins elected to have the surgery done in Nashville, Tenn. on October 25th.
On the day of his surgery, the field was empty, just like it is now. That's because head coach Alan Clayton cancelled practice for the first time in his career.
“Most of the team made the trip to Nashville to make sure we supported him,” Clayton said. “I think there were 62 people in the waiting room.”
“He really done well with this,” Danny said. “He never shed a tear until the day of his surgery.”
Had it not been for his concussion, doctors say, Dylan would have died without any symptoms.
The Darwin family wants to thank everyone for their support. Dylan's next check up and MRI will be on November 21.
