Bridgeport dancer learns new routine on road to recovery after brain tumor
Jack, 16, of Bridgeport, has been with Rockwell Dance Center, in Trumbull, for years.
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Jack Godo knows his place is on the stage.
“I've danced my whole life pretty much,” Godo said. “I just really enjoy being able to express myself through movement.”
Jack, 16, of Bridgeport, has been with Rockwell Dance Center, in Trumbull, for years.
“He just went from a little kid who loved to tap and bounce around to a very serious artist,” owner Nikole Lachioma told News 12. “He's super talented and his work ethic is – you can't compare it really.”
So, it wasn’t a reach when Jack decided he wants to go professional one day.
“The passion he has for it, it just feels right,” said mom Amy Godo.
“We love watching him dance. It's such a joy,” added dad George Godo.
But Jack's daily dance sessions are on hold for now, replaced with a different routine. He's spent the past two weeks at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare relearning life's basics. In August, Jack had an MRI to try to determine the cause of some hearing loss. What doctors discovered was a massive tumor that had been growing for years.
“Me, as a 16-year-old, I was like, ‘Wait, what?’” he said.
“It was horrific. They basically told us, he needs to go to the emergency room, get checked out, and then, within about a week and a half, the tumor was removed,” Amy explained. “He was in the ICU for about 10 days. There were a lot of complications. It got very scary. He spent another six days in the regular part of the hospital, and then we came here to Gaylord.”
Getting back into a rhythm has taken time for Jack.
“His balance was gone, completely gone. He couldn't even sit up without passing out the first couple of days,” Amy said.
“I was just so confused. If I can't walk straight, how am I going to dance?” Jack asked.
Just like his passion, it's about repetition. Every day brings visible progress, in part because of his mindset to still dance professionally.
“The wonderful thing about Jack is that he's 16, and young people really do very, very well in the grand scheme of things from a rehabilitation perspective, but Jack also is very determined to get back to what he was doing before the surgery,” explained Dr. Alyse Sicklick, medical director of Inpatient Rehabilitation at Gaylord. “He has incredible goals and aspirations for the future and there's no reason to think at this point that all of those things aren't possible in his future and. As we like to say here at Gaylord, just think possible.”
Jack’s dance studio family has also been there to give him a lift.
“His progression from then to now is just incredible,” said friend and dancer Britton McGrath.
“He’s such a nice guy to hang around, and he brings up everyone's mood. He always checks up on you. He cares for you,” added friend and dancer Karina Ayala.
So, it wasn’t surprising that the dance studio visited Jack at Gaylord on Saturday, bringing with them over 100 flower bouquets they put together for him, other patients and staff.
“It was kind of an emotional experience, like coming with everyone and the flowers were beautiful,” said friend and dancer Luke Hatzis.
“That was just amazing just to see everybody, and it really meant a lot to me,” Jack told News 12.
The support has added to Jack’s drive as each baby step brings him closer to being back in the spotlight.
“When he gets to be on stage with them again, it’s going to be – I can't even talk about it,” Lachioma said, getting emotional. “It's just going to be so amazing.”
Gaylord staff anticipates Jack will be there for another two weeks before he returns home to continue his recovery. Jack hopes to be back at Rockwell Dance Center in the spring.
A fundraising effort has been started to help the Godo family with Jack’s medical bills.
