Michael Hartfiel

Mike was diagnosed with a medulloblastoma in January 2009. He underwent surgery, chemo and radiation soon after. In January 2010 he had his first of many clean scans. He went every 3 months for the first year for MRIs, then every 6 months and then after his 5 year mark he went once a year.

In 2019, Mike started to get some new symptoms in his right hand and it turned out that his cancer was back and on his spine at C5. He was treated with oral chemo starting in January 2020 and tolerated that well. In June 2021 we went to the ER because he was having symptoms of nausea and vomiting that had persisted for a week. His lab work all came back normal and he was referred back to his oncologist. He had a series of MRIs in June and his  tumor had grown to his C5-C7. He then went to MD Anderson in the summer of 2021 for a trial of the second generation of the medication he had been on for 18 months and had shown success.

In September 2021, his symptoms worsened, more MRIs were done to show that the tumors had spread to his lumbar spine, making it impossible for him to walk. He received 20 sessions of radiation in Houston at MD Anderson and it had seemed to shrink the tumors. 

He was transferred to San Antonio late September and had another MRI in late October, which showed that the tumors were stable.

Mike unfortunately being on high doses of steroids to help the swelling on his spinal cord, proved to have it’s own set of set backs. Mike was admitted to the hospital right after the holidays and passed away in January 2022.

Mike was a loving son, brother, nephew, husband, father, uncle, cousin, friend and neighbor. He LOVED to go fishing on the Texas coast, Rockport being a favorite place. He also LOVED Legos and was a true Lego maniac.

We participated in the Head for the Cure 5K in San Antonio for many years and plan now to run and walk it to honor Mike and his 12 year battle. He was such a strong and courageous warrior, never giving up on the fight!

Thank you to all who generously donated to end brain cancer! Team Headstrong will continue to honor Mike and all the others who have gone before him and who are fighting now!