High School Sweethearts Welcome First Child — Then Husband's Terminal Brain Cancer Diagnosis Changes Everything (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Sera Young TikTok, showing husband Dustin’s scans.Photo:Sera Breinholt Young/TikTok

Man Went to Doctor After Complaining About Migraines and Gets Diagnosed with Terminal Brain Cancer

Sera Breinholt Young/TikTok

Sera and Dustin Young were high school sweethearts, and not long ago, welcomed their first child together, son Tex.

But their love story took an unexpected turn last summer when Dustin was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.  The family is now now facing an uncertain future, but making the most of their time together while they can.

“It started with a headache that just wouldn’t go away,” Sera exclusively tells PEOPLE. “After about two weeks, he began experiencing vision loss and blackout spells. We never imagined it could be something serious.”

Sera and Dustin Young with their son.Caitlyn Okerlund/Okerlund Photo and Film

Man Went to Doctor After Complaining About Migraines and Gets Diagnosed with Terminal Brain Cancer

Caitlyn Okerlund/Okerlund Photo and Film

What began as a headache in April 2024 quickly escalated into a life-altering diagnosis. Initially, doctors dismissed Dustin’s symptoms as a typical migraine, but Sera and Dustin sought further evaluation. In July, the two were told Dustin actually had a large tumor pressing on his frontal lobe.

“My husband called me crying on the phone,” Sera vividly recalls of the moment she received the news. “The neurologist had received an emergency scan and found a giant tumor. They told us he should be having seizures; he shouldn’t even be functioning.”

“There’s no cure for it," Sera reveals.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In their quest for support, they turned to therapy and online communities.

Sera posted a TikTok video about Dustin’s diagnosis, using dark humor to cope; unexpectedly, the video went viral.

“We’ve been dealing with our situation with a lot of dark humor,” she explains. “I posted a video that I thought was funny because it was relatable to our experience of denial and surprise.”

Comments were a mix of sympathy, prayers and stories from others who’d overcome similar diagnoses.

In the months since, Sera has continued posting on TikTok, detailing her husband’s prognosis and her ownjourney with griefin various videos as her community grows.

Dustin and Sera Young.Caitlyn Okerlund/Okerlund Photo and Film

Man Went to Doctor After Complaining About Migraines and Gets Diagnosed with Terminal Brain Cancer

Despite the gravity of their situation, the couple is focused on creating lasting memories. Dustin has made a bucket list that includes attending a Dallas Cowboys game at their home stadium in Arizona. He is also writing personal letters for their son to read as he grows older.

“It taught us the importance of spending time together as happily and close as possible,” Sera reflects. “We’re trying to make the best of life with the cards we’ve been handed.”

source: people.com