Sixteen-year-old Tashrik Moses from Hanower Park is starting a course of radiation therapy on Tuesday because medical specialists determined that chemotherapy is not yielding the desired results, and the tumor continues to grow.
What was initially perceived by the family as an allergy—eye swelling two years ago—was later diagnosed in September 2024 as a rare form of cancer. Now the young patient is preparing for surgery for orbital rhabdomyosarcoma, which is an aggressive and rare soft tissue cancer that develops primarily in the orbit.
On Sunday, August 9, 2026, Tashrik had to be urgently hospitalized after experiencing bleeding from his eye. He has been prescribed 20 sessions of radiation therapy.
His mother, Ashika Moses, reported that on Sunday evening, Tashrik mentioned going to the toilet due to stomach issues, after which he suddenly fell on the first step of the stairs. She heard her husband's cry and, upon going upstairs, saw him lying on the first step. She approached, lifted him, and noticed blood oozing from his eye. The first thing he asked was 'what happened,' and then she realized he had fainted. He was taken to the hospital, where he spent the night.
When doctors examined his eye, the damage was not severe, but a CT scan showed that the tumor in his eye had grown, and the brain tumor had also increased. The other side of his eye began to swell, but this was a consequence of the fall. After the bleeding stopped, he was sent home. The next day, the family contacted the doctors, who advised them to bring him back.
On Wednesday, upon returning to the hospital, the family learned that chemotherapy was no longer effective, and a new treatment needed to begin. His mother explained: 'They told us that chemotherapy is not working. It causes all the side effects it should, but it does not shrink the tumor as we would like.' The decision was made to switch to radiation therapy, which he will start on Tuesday. He will undergo 20 sessions, although how they will be distributed is not yet known.
The tumor has prevented the teenager from attending school and causes him severe discomfort and headaches; however, the only way to relieve the pain is eye removal. A support channel, Back a Buddy, has also been created to help cover medical expenses and transportation costs.