Area rallies to help teen

SANDPOINT — Since being diagnosed with a rare genetic disease in 2009, Drake Haskins has undergone 11 brain surgeries.

That’s in addition to the eye surgeries and rounds radiation and chemotherapy required to halt the spread of tumors resulting from Neurofibromatosis type II, or NF2. As a result, the now-15-year-old has endured more hospital trips in five years than many people encounter in a lifetime. The latest, scheduled for July 14 in Seattle, will involve the removal of tumors from between nose and eye bridge and the right frontal lobe. The surgery is expected to take between 10 and 14 hours.

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