TECUMSEH, Mich. — Vann Burpee is a sixth-grade student at Tecumseh Middle School who likes video games, soccer and space. In August of 2022, his family received devastating news: he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
His mother, Anne Burpee, said Vann had headaches and nausea in the summer, which doctors said were probably migraines. But aside from that, Vann was mostly healthy throughout the summer.
"He had the best summer. He played he vacationed, he felt active, he was great," Anne said.
During the night on Aug. 17, everything changed when his dad, Victor Burpee, made the call to take him to the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott's Children's Hospital after Vann was vomiting.
"They pull you into a small room and say, 'Let's let Vann rest, we need to talk,' and you know that's not good," Victor said.
Vann was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and would have to get surgery for hydrocephalus to relieve the fluid from the tumor in his brain.
"It makes me sad thinking that this whole summer I was just so okay, and then I got diagnosed," Vann said.
After another surgery and a craniotomy in October, doctors learned Vann has an inoperable tumor on the brain stem.
"This whole time he's been fine," his sister, AvaJane, said. "And then finding out ... it's affected everyone."
After learning of the diagnosis, Tecumseh Middle School reached out to the family for the 'Victory for Vann' campaign to sell t-shirts and bracelets to support the Burpees, who said the outcome was overwhelming.
"The school seems to be behind it and backing Vann and us as a family, the whole community really," Anne said.
AvaJane said even though the journey has been hard, some good has come out of it. She said her brother has been the talk of Tecumseh High School, too.
"I've grown closer to my brother than I have ever since everything that's happened," she said.
Victor said he's seen a new side to his son throughout the process.
"I never knew how resilient my son was until I've seen him go through these last surgeries. This kid's incredible, he's so strong," he said.
On Monday, Vann went through his first round of chemotherapy radiation. His family said they're hopeful, thanks to the community's support and the medical staff at the hospital.