Mom was told her son, 7, had strep throat... weeks later he was given devastating diagnosis and just months to live

When Alyssa Pace's son developed a scratchy throat, she assumed it would pass in a matter of days.

The eldest of three, Pace's son Boston, 7, and his brothers all fell ill with strep throat in March 2026. 

Caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes, strep throat most commonly affects school-aged children and causes a nagging sore throat, fever and painful swallowing.

Pace, from Louisiana, initially thought nothing of it, especially given that Boston had 'zero health issues' leading up to the illness. 

But as the weeks wore on and his brothers improved, Boston's condition worsened and he still was having symptoms at the end of May - vomiting and complaining of severe headaches, leaving Pace to wonder if he had developed strep for a second time. 

When she brought him to the doctor again, he tested negative for strep throat, and she said on her TikTok that doctors insisted it was likely a virus draining Boston's sinuses, causing headaches and facial pain, along with the nausea and vomiting. 

'The problem was that Boston’s vomiting and headaches became even more frequent as the weeks went by,' Pace said. 

'The symptoms did not last too long each day, but his energy also started to decrease over time.'

Pace also told Newsweek that by early June, doctors said the cause was likely heat related due to Boston playing baseball in the summer sun. Despite keeping him hydrated and inside as much as possible, the symptoms remained.

On June 14, Pace rushed Boston to the emergency room, where doctors ordered a CT scan on his brain, which revealed a mass. 

'The doctor came in and told me there was something on the CT and it was on Boston’s brain,' Pace said. 

'I was in complete shock, and I still didn’t understand the severity of the situation.'

Doctors suspected the mass was a diffuse midline glioma, or DMG – formerly called a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG – an extremely aggressive brain tumor that grows within the central nervous system's central structures such as the brainstem and the thalamus.

The family was then referred to St Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. 

Once there, doctors surgically placed a shunt in Boston's brain to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid and did a biopsy to confirm it was a DMG, Pace explained on her TikTok. 

Fewer than 500 Americans are diagnosed with DMG every year, and it makes up one in five of all pediatric brain tumors. Most patients are diagnosed between ages five and ten. 

The symptoms are often subtle, including headaches, nausea, back pain, speech issues, balance problems, hearing difficulties and behavioral changes. 

Patients generally only live for less than a year after diagnosis. According to the American Brain Tumor Association, 99 percent of patients diagnosed with DMG die within five years. 

This is often because the tumors are wrapped around structures in the brain, making them inoperable.

The Pace family was suddenly faced with the reality that the little boy may only have months to live. 

Pace told Newsweek that Boston has undergone six weeks of radiation therapy in an attempt to shrink his tumor, which she said has 'truly been a nightmare' to watch her son experience. 

'Boston has been so brave and strong during this entire process. I hate that he is going through this, but his strength has been so inspiring,' she said. 'This type of tumor is terminal, and his life expectancy is less than a year, but our hope is not lost. 

'We have faith that God will turn this around for Boston and many others who are fighting this diagnosis. We just ask everyone to stand in agreement in prayer with us and to bring awareness for this type of brain tumor.'

Pace also wrote on Facebook that Boston's doctors at St Jude Children's Research Hospital are seeking clinical trials for which he may qualify and the family is raising money for medical expenses via GoFundMe.