Florida teen first diagnosed with flu finds out he has stage 4 cancer

Ashley May | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Florida teen initially diagnosed with flu discovers he has cancer Just weeks after being diagnosed with the flu, a 16-year-old boy from Florida discovered that he actually had stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Doctors told a 16-year-old Florida boy he had flu symptoms, but realized weeks later the diagnosis was wrong.

Hunter Brady's exhaustion and shortness of breath was actually from stage IVB Hodgkin lymphoma that the Tampa boy had been living with for months, Tampa Bay's WFTS reports.

The boy has since started chemotherapy, fighting for his life. Stage IV Hodgkin lymphoma has a 5-year survival rate of about 65%, but having B symptoms means Brady's cancer is more advanced and will require more intense treatment, according to the American Cancer Society.

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Symptoms started in November, Hunter’s mom, Cheryl Brady, told WFTS.

“We weren’t aware at the time his right lung was collapsed and his left lung was 30% collapsed,” she told the station.

After the prescribed medication didn't work, Brady's family got a second opinion. A CT scan revealed the collapsed lung as well as built-up fluid, according to a YouCaring fundraising page for the family.

Hunter, who said he's also been bullied online because of his cancer, will undergo radiation treatment after he completes chemotherapy, WFTS reports. He said he hopes to become a pastor.

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