05/26/2026
Last August, the Herberts made a devastating discovery - their 11 year old son’s aching and nagging neck pain was due to a tumor on his spinal cord. After the MRI was reviewed by several pediatric neurosurgeons, all were convinced that it was a benign nerve sheath tumor and that its removal was necessary. In September, Charlie underwent a 5 hour spinal surgery and 10 days later, their world changed forever. Pathology confirmed that the tumor was malignant and Charlie was diagnosed Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer. Ewing’s, typically a bone and soft tissue cancer, affects only 200 children per year. But Charlie’s Ewing’s in the central nervous system is extremely rare, with only a handful of cases ever reported.
Since diagnoses, Charlie has endured a grueling treatment plan —14 cycles of chemo over 8 months and 6 weeks of daily radiation. He’s battled through all of it with fierce courage, determination, positivity, levity, and with an internal light that would not be dimmed despite the pain, fear or circumstance. A testament to the power of positive thinking and how mindset matters, Charlie inspires us, and all who know him, every single day.
The road has been long and incredibly tough — in every way possible. But if you’ve ever met Charlie or seen him on a baseball or football field, you know he’s one tough kid — determined, fierce, and full of life.
Charlie’s next chapter focused on healing, recovery, and monitoring with frequent scans and procedures over the next 5 years. There are no tests to answer the ultimate question, but the Herberts will try their best to continue on this journey in the only way they know how—holding hands, forging ahead with bravery and joy in their hearts, leaning into faith, loving one another, and believing that they can overcome anything.
