Miles in the Siskiyou Daily
9-year-old Scott Valley boy Miles Isbell continues fight against cancer
Siskiyou Daily News
Treatment continues for 9-year-old Miles Isbell as he battles cancer "like a champion," enduring grueling chemo sessions and long stays in the hospital away from his Scott Valley home.
His mom, Joy Isbell, said the love and support from the community, nation and world has been amazing.
“He’s an exceptional kid,” Joy said about her son. “He’s touched a lot of different people. He has a presence about him. It’s amazing how so many people have come together to help Miles and our family. Everyone has been tremendous. It has been the best and worst time of our lives.”
Joy said Miles is working hard to get over this formidable mountain called cancer.
Miles is a fourth grader at Fort Jones Elementary School, where his mother is the principal. In September of 2020, he began to have bad migraine headaches that did not let up.
More:'Smiles for Miles' Scott Valley community supports boy fighting cancer
On Sept. 30, an MRI revealed Miles had a growth on his brain. He was flown from the hospital in Medford, Ore., to Oregon Health and Science Hospital in Portland. On Oct. 2 the tumor was removed, and doctors discovered it was cancerous. His tumor is a Medullablastoma and is curable.
Miles then went to Seattle, Wash. where he had six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy treatments. The other members of the Isbell family – dad Bradley and brother Carter, a sixth grader – are staying in the Scott Valley.
On Friday, Miles was back home but was tuckered out and resting after six days in the hospital in Medford and four blood transfusions. Joy said he had an allergic reaction to one.
“All of this is to be expected due to the havoc that chemo wreaks on all fast dividing cells, which are in our bone marrow and make blood,” she said in a Facebook post last Tuesday. “Today we can tell he certainly feels better. He enjoyed reading cards from school and Digiorno pizza delivered by a friend.”
Later this month Miles will go back to Seattle for more chemo treatment.
“It's definitely tiring and hard, especially for a 9-year-old child, but we have had excellent care,” Joy said. This includes all the doctors and staff in Seattle, Portland, Medford, and locally at Fairchild Medical Center, where Miles checks in for counts on his cells and blood to make sure it is safe when he has to travel to go to the other hospitals.
Joy said one thing that has helped is Miles' new puppy. The dog is a young Labradoodle called Charlie, who he has visited several times and who he will get to bring home soon. He is one of a litter of dogs that is currently in the Scott Valley area waiting to be old enough to be taken home, Joy said.
Charlie has helped Miles immensely, Joy said. He has a stuffed dog that looks a bit like Charlie that he brings to the hospital with him for support. Miles loves showing all the nurses and doctors photos of his new pup.
“This dog makes him happy and gives him something to look forward to,” she said. “He just loves Charlie so much.”
On Thursday, Miles and his family talked to officials at the Make-A-Wish Foundation. As a child with a life-threatening illness, Miles is eligible for a wish. Joy said the family is keeping Miles' wish private for now, but as soon as things are set up and confirmed, they'll let people know what it is.
While there have been many tough moments for each member of the Isbell family, Joy said their close bond has seen them through the hard times.
“We just love each other so much that when (one) person is down the other person brings them up,” she said. Joy added that Carter has been a great big brother and always has his little brothers back, no matter what.
Miles' aunt Raylene Lang is a longtime educator in the Scott Valley. She's currently intern principal at Fort Jones Elementary while Joy takes a leave of absence to care for Miles.
Unfortunately, this is the second cancer diagnosis in the family this past year. Miles's grandfather, John Isbell, found out in February that he has a cancerous brain tumor. The owner of Scott Valley Disposal has had surgeries, recently concluded chemotherapy treatments and is doing OK, Joy said.
“It’s been tough for him to watch his grandson go though this as well,” Joy said. John is now feeling better and is able to do more things like cutting firewood.
Some of the same surgeons who operated on John during his second surgery also operated on Miles.
Joy noted all the support the family has seen since Mile's diagnoses. “It’s overwhelming,” she said,” It means everything to us.”
Even beyond the Scott Valley and Siskiyou County, Miles has people supporting him.
He received a letter from the San Francisco Giants organization offering words of encouragement as well as a signed ball from the team's catcher, Buster Posey. Miles is a big Giants fan.
A musician and guitarist, Miles also received a Tom Morello Fender guitar from Tom himself. Mello is best known for his tenure with the rock band Rage Against the Machine. Tom even sent a video with words of encouragement to Miles, which was posted on the "Smiles for Miles" Facebook page, as was a video from guitarist Nuno Bettencourt from Extreme and band members of Korn and Serj Tankian of System of the Down.
Miles loves 80s music and rock and roll, his family said.
On his way to Seattle in September, Miles was able to cheer on his brother and his baseball team, GasHouse Gang, at a tournament in Medford. The team wore jerseys honoring Miles that had #smilesformiles printed on them. The squad is holding a fundraiser for Miles at the Gashouse in Talent Ore. on Feb. 20 and 21. Located at 5421 N. Pacific Ave., more information can be found at the Smiles For Miles Facebook page.
In addition, a group of family friends of the Isbells are organizing a blood drive on behalf of Miles and others in the community who need transfusions.
They have been in contact with Vitalant, a blood donation organization and plan to hold the drive on March 10 for a COVID-19 safe donation day. The location is being worked out but will possibly take place at Fort Jones City Hall or the Sacred Heart Parish Hall in Fort Jones.
A Facebook group, Smiles For Miles, has been created to give the family a chance to give updates on Miles and for the community to post words of encouragement and support for the family. It can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/438671447105392/.
More about Miles can also be found at www.milesthebrave.com.