'I Beat Joe Bully': 10-Year-Old Healing After Fight With Brain Tumor

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- WCCO first caught up with Gavin Pierson in 2013 as he awaited approval for a clinical trial to try to shrink a growing teratoma in his brain.

Gavin never gave up the fight, referring to his tumor as "Joe Bully."

A day in the park might not seem like a remarkable feat until you've lived through the limitations that come with a debilitating illness.

"Yeah, it was really hard," said Gavin, who survived a brain tumor.

Ten-year-old Gavin spent half his life battling a brain tumor he nicknamed Joe Bully.

"I could hardly talk, I couldn't hear good," Gavin said.

The mass kept him wheelchair-bound and life revolved around hospitals.  In 2013, his parents enrolled him in a clinical trial to shrink the tumor.  That was followed by a first-of-its-kind procedure in the Midwest using a laser to cut out the tumor, ultimately giving Gavin his life back.

"I beat Joe Bully," Gavin said.

"This is the first year he can look forward to starting school and not having to stop and do brain surgery," said Nicole Pierson, Gavin's mom.

Gavin's now making up for lost time, reacquainting himself with old hobbies and refusing to slow down.

"I could run again, I could ride my bike again, I do karate again," Gavin said.

Still the healing continues.  The tumor took a toll on Gavin's body, but it affected the entire family.

"I just didn't know how we would ever get our child back.  How are we going to come back from this," said Nicole Pierson while reflecting back on Gavin's surgeries.

While Gavin fought off the tumor, Nicole Pierson found her own form of therapy in the written word.

"Through writing, when I was really fearful of what was going to happen, or we got bad news, I could write about it and then be strong for Gavin.  There's so much emotion and you can't feel all of it or you'd want to lay down and cry and you wouldn't be able to do what you needed to do to help your child recover,"  said Nicole Pierson.

She believes by sharing their journey other parents might find strength while facing similar challenges.

"I hope that by reading our story they are inspired to not give up when things are tough.  We were looking at impossible odds.  Our son was dying from something no one had survived before.  I hope they see through the struggle and heartbreak and the hope and faith Gavin had," said Nicole Pierson.

Every day Nicole's reminded that the best years are still ahead.

"When I'm a grown-up, I want to be a marine biologist," Gavin said.

Gavin will still need periodic checkups to make sure the tumor hasn't returned, but his prognosis is good.

Nicole's book "Be Strong and Brave" will be released for sale this Thursday.

To learn where it's sold, click here.