Bowen Pennington, a three‑year‑old from Kentucky, was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) in late 2025. The aggressive brain tumor gives him roughly a one‑percent chance of survival, according to his mother, Cierra Pennington.

Family’s fight and hope

For nearly a year the Pennington family has leaned on the fact that survival odds are not zero. “That’s the main goal,” Cierra said. The family hopes a forthcoming brain‑tissue biopsy will reveal a mutation that could qualify Bowen for a clinical trial, potentially extending his life or shrinking the tumor.

Daily challenges

Bowen undergoes testing every two to three weeks and an MRI roughly every ten weeks. He is sedated for procedures about every two months. Despite the rigorous schedule, the child has started preschool, celebrates his upcoming fourth birthday, and his speech is improving daily, according to his mother.

Medical outlook

Doctors admit they still do not fully understand why Bowen’s tumor behaves as it does. They note that in younger children the disease can progress more slowly, but each case is unique. The family is also looking toward a potential trial in California that targets cancers similar to DIPG.

Raising awareness

Cierra stresses that sharing Bowen’s story is about increasing public awareness of this rare disease. “If you don’t bring awareness to it, how do we know how to stop it?” she asked. The family encourages supporters to follow Bowen’s journey on the “Bowen Strong DIPG Warrior” Facebook page and to consider donating via their GoFundMe campaign.

Original reporting: LEX18 Lexington (local) — read the source article.