7-Year-Old Boy With Brain Tumor Beams With Positivity Despite Adversity

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It's often said that everything happens for a reason, but most of us have a tough time finding that reason when a child has a potentially deadly disease.

Michael Uyaguari has a brain tumor, yet you'd be hard-pressed to find a happier, friendlier 7-year-old. CBS2's Dr. Max Gomez met him Thursday while he was getting his weekly chemotherapy.

Michael says he plays in the kitchen, listens to music, and has a little snack while in the hospital.

He has what's called a low-grade Glioblastoma. It's weakened Michael's right side and it's growing around his optic nerves, so he has to get very close to things to see them.

"Because of where it's localized, it can cause a lot of damage to surrounding structures. Unfortunately, to try to do surgery, it's almost impossible without doing significant damage," Dr. William Carroll, of the NYU Hassenfeld Children's Center, told CBS2.

Radiation can be devastating to a developing brain, so to try to control the tumor, Michael has been getting weekly chemotherapy since he was just a 1-year-old.

This is where the life lessons come in.

Michael's mother said his personality has always been this upbeat, almost like he was born to teach all of us about being strong.

"He's our angel and he's the support of my family. Instead of the parents being the support, I think he's the glue keeping us together, and keeping us strong from him," Rosa Uyuguari said.

Michael lights up the pediatric oncology unit at NYU Langone Medical Center, making friends with patients and staff alike.

Michael's prognosis is unknown. His tumor sometimes stops responding to chemo, but it sometimes stops growing on its own. If it does keep growing, doctors will use radiation when Michael's brain is developed enough to resist the treatment.