Sandton Boy’s Fight Against Rare Brain Tumour Sparks R1m Initiative for Overseas Treatment

• 15-year-old Arav has spent a third of his life fighting a persistent brain tumour that first appeared when he was just 10 years old
• The Sandton teenager has survived brain surgeries and a stroke, but new scans show the growth is returning
• His parents are now trying to raise R1 million to take him to India for advanced medical care not found in South Africa

Arav Singh was once a typical kid in Lonehill, Johannesburg, who loved swimming, playing cricket, and getting lost in Harry Potter books. That life changed five years ago when a massive 13 cm growth was found in his brain. Today, at 15, Arav is still fighting. While many boys his age are hanging out at malls, Arav’s world is filled with doctors, therapy, and a heavy daily dose of medicine. His family is now turning to the public to make the trip to India for medical care a reality.

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The long road of surgeries and setbacks

The teenager’s health journey has been tough. What started as an unexplained vomiting turned out to be a rare tumour called craniopharyngioma. The growth was so large that it crushed his optic nerve, leaving him blind in his right eye. Since 2021, Arav has endured 30 rounds of radiation and multiple operations to drain fluid from his brain. Shortly after his surgery, he suffered a stroke that weakened the right side of his body. Despite all these efforts, a recent MRI in January 2026 showed that the tumour is growing again, making his situation urgent.

A childhood replaced by many pills a day

The impact on Arav’s daily life is hard to imagine. Because the tumour damaged his pituitary gland, his body can no longer perform basic functions on its own. He now has to take 23 pills every single day and receive hormone injections just to stay stable. He can no longer read the books he once loved or play sports with his friends. Arav’s days are not a busy schedule of speech therapy, physiotherapy, and visits to the psychologist. Even with these physical struggles, his parents say he stays positive and is always quick to show love and appreciation for those around him.

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A R1 million hope for a better future

After local doctors did all they could, the Singh family is now looking at international options. They have been talking to specialists in Delhi, India, about advanced treatments like CAR-T- cell therapy and stem cell work. These procedures could help shrink the remaining tumour and maybe even help his nerves recover. The family needs to raise R1 million to make this journey possible, which they hope to raise through their BackaBuddy initiative. For them, this isn’t just about survival; it is about giving Arav a chance to be a kid again, free from the constant shadow of hospital visits and heavy medication.

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Source: Briefly News