Jordan Mills

Jordan Mills is a man's man. Enlisted in the U.S. military in 2004, Jordan was deployed around the world, serving in countries as diverse as Japan, Korea and Afghanistan. But "after my first combat deployment," Jordan says, "I started noticing odd physical changes in my body. I could barely move the left side of my face, and my left eye was almost completely closed."

Initially told these might be symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, Jordan hoped they'd subside and let the matter go—for a time. But during deployment in Iraq in 2007, the symptoms got worse: the slack muscle tone on his face was spreading, and he was also experiencing weakness on his right side which made it hard to run and exercise.

Military physicians sent Jordan to a base in Germany for medical attention, and administered a battery of tests including MRI and CT scans. A week later, Jordan recalls, "I was sitting in a little room when a doctor came to talk with me. 'I'm so sorry,' he said. 'There's something in your brain. Something bad. Sorry about your luck.'"

Jordan was transported to Bethesda Military Hospital in Maryland, where further tests convinced doctors that the tumor in Jordan's brain was lethal. "You're not going to die tomorrow or next week," they said, "but ultimately, it's going to take your life."

"Exactly what I needed"
"My uncle had dealt with an ear cancer," Jordan says, "and was treated at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. So I knew Mayo was good. And I absolutely knew that's where I wanted to be treated." Jordan was ecstatic to learn about Mayo's campuses in Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz., since his girlfriend also lived in the Valley of the Sun.

Jordan's treatment team at Mayo Clinic in Arizona included Ameet C. Patel, M.D., Department of Radiology, Alyx B. Porter, M.D., Department of Neurology and Sujay A. Vora, M.D., Department of Radiation Oncology. The tumor in Jordan's brain was diagnosed as a brain stem glioma—a highly aggressive growth near the base of the skull. The tumor compresses nearby nerves as it grows, disrupting basic body functions like motor and sensory skills, and often causing neurological disabilities as well. However, "because the brain stem is such a critical structure, the tumor location often makes surgery and even a biopsy far too dangerous," explains Dr. Porter.

For this reason, brain stem gliomas are generally treated with radiation therapy. "The key to successful treatment is focusing the right amount of radiation on the tumor while limiting radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissues," explains Dr. Vora. Radiation therapy may be supplemented by chemotherapy when clinically appropriate.

"I underwent radiation therapy five days a week, for six weeks solid—plus chemotherapy simultaneously," Jordan says. Jordan's treatments were coordinated by a team of physicists, medical dosimetrists and radiation therapists to ensure high precision delivery of radiation. The team closely monitored Jordan's condition and response to treatment, and more than anything, "they gave me hope," he says. "I believe in God. I believe in healing. But still, it was hard. And hope was exactly what I needed."

Getting his life back
Jordan's treatment continued to be adjusted as appropriate, continuing for more than six months, all closely monitored by his treatment team. The result? The tumor shrunk—and hasn't grown since.

"I've got full motion back in my arms and legs," Jordan smiles. "I can run. I can play basketball." And his face has returned to normal—no more slackness of tone.

"Getting my life back has been amazing," Jordan continues. "I'm no longer sitting in bed waiting to die. I get to do the things I like to do—everything I want."

Jordan's life continues full of happy events. He married his fiancée in June 2009, and bought his first house that October. Honorably discharged from the military, he's now in college and seeking a career in sports management.

"Jordan embodies the reason why I do my job every day," Dr. Porter says. "He had such a grim diagnosis, but he was—and is—determined to live his life anyway. He never gave up. He's an inspiration. Outcomes like this are the reason I'm a doctor."

"The tumor's still there," Jordan acknowledges, and then shrugs his shoulders. "But I'm strong. I've got God on my side. And I've got my doctors at Mayo Clinic."