BURNHAM — At a time when most 12-year-olds are running around with friends, worrying about schoolwork and dreaming about summer break, Dakota Settle, of Burnham, is learning to live with a diagnosis far beyond his years.

Instead of classrooms and playgrounds, his days revolve around home schooling, medical appointments and the constant awareness of when — not if — his infiltrative astrocytoma will return.

Dakota’s cancer is a central nervous system tumor that will require lifelong monitoring. Every three months, he undergoes MRI scans of his brain and spine, each one carrying the weight of possibility. His mother, Angel Soccio, says the hardest part is knowing her son must carry this burden at such a young age.

“You don’t think about things like that when you’re so young,” she said. “Hopefully he can grasp what is in front of him.”

The family’s ordeal began unfolding rapidly at the start of the year. On January 9, an MRI revealed a tumor. Five days later, on January 14, Dakota underwent brain surgery. Everyone hoped the mass would turn out to be benign. A week later, the results confirmed what they feared: it was cancer.

The diagnosis came on top of a lifelong medical struggle. Dakota has been epileptic since he was just two weeks old, requiring frequent brain scans throughout his childhood. Last November, Angel found him unresponsive on his bedroom floor. His doctors had taken him off his seizure medication since there had been no signs of trouble, but something was clearly wrong. Afterward, he couldn’t balance, and a series of tests followed. During one of those MRI appointments, doctors told the family the scan had revealed a tumor and that Dakota needed brain surgery immediately.

“It feels defeating,” Angel said. “MRIs are supposed to make everything be OK.”

Angel had promised her children that 2026 would be the year they finally took a family vacation. Instead, nine days into January, Dakota was being prepped for brain surgery. “It’s out of my control,” she said. “You never expect something like this.”

The family’s challenges extend far beyond Dakota’s diagnosis. Angel herself has undergone four surgeries on her arm following a car accident three years ago and is now facing the likelihood of a fifth. Each procedure requires six to nine months of recovery. She had surgery again in August, and with Dakota now home-schooled, she has been out of work while trying to continue her IT studies, which she hopes to complete by 2029.

Her other children are also facing medical challenges. Carson, 8, is partially deaf and is scheduled for surgery on May 6 to remove his adenoids and receive a skin graft to repair a large hole. Avah, 13, is undergoing treatment for calcification on her ovaries. Though not cancerous, the condition still requires a medical procedure.

Through it all, Angel remains focused on the hope that doctors have removed Dakota’s tumor and allow him to move forward. That’s part of what his next brain scan will reveal.

“That’s the most traumatic part,” she said. “Really hoping they removed the tumor and we can go on with our lives.” There will also be a waiting game to see when the cancer returns.

The Milroy Lions Club is stepping up to help the family shoulder the mounting expenses and emotional strain. Dakota’s fight has touched the hearts of many. The club’s next spaghetti benefit dinner — always a well-attended community tradition — will be held Thursday, April 16, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Fellowship Hall of White Memorial Church, 68 S. Main St., Milroy.

The meal — a $10 donation for adults, with children under 12 eating free — includes spaghetti and meatballs, tossed salad, bread with butter, applesauce, homemade desserts and soft drinks. But the real nourishment will come from neighbors gathering around a family that has endured more than most.

For Angel, the support means more than words can express. For Dakota, it is a reminder that even in the hardest moments, he is not facing this alone.