MESA, AZ — A Valley nurse diagnosed with brain cancer is celebrating that his tumor is stable after a year of surgeries and experimental treatments. Last year, Tim Jackson was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a malignant brain cancer with no known cure.
ABC15 spoke to Tim and his wife Amber in May about his diagnosis. He's a father of four and has been a nurse at Banner for more than a decade.
Tim, who now wears an electromagnetic cap on his head, said his kids call him "robot daddy."
"You've got all of this equipment, but to have your little ones call you robot daddy makes you sound superhuman," he laughed.
Tim's cancer journey started at the Ivy Brain Tumor Center at Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's in Phoenix. He enrolled in a clinical trial and has tried several medications.
He has since completed radiation and had multiple surgeries to remove parts of the tumor. Now, he's on a new drug that seems to be working. His most recent MRI showed his tumor is stable and hasn't grown.
Tim said he's hopeful.
"We're excited about the future," said Tim. "I want the kids to smile and giggle and run and play. I don't want them to think about this right now or let it be something they have to worry about."
He said he's focusing on making memories.
"Taking every opportunity to be with my children and my wife. Every day, I want to make every moment meaningful,' he said.
Amber said their new family motto is to live their lives and enjoy Tim as long as they can.
