Arizona teen launching non-profit after brain tumor diagnosis: 'Have a Good Tude Dude'

PHOENIX - "I just, I was freaked out. I didn't know what was going on, the world was spinning." Ethan Weiner said. "I felt like my life was over."

October 1, 2023, was the day 14-year-old Ethan Weiner's life changed forever.

"I went into the hospital just for a check and later that night they told me I had a brain tumor," he said.

Ethan, a lover of planes and pretty much everything else a 14-year-old boy is into, was in shock. He went numb for only seconds before his mind started racing, thinking the worst.

"I just wanted to die," he said. "I didn't want to fight it. My life basically just stopped."

His family felt as if this discovery sucked the life out of them, too.

"It was one of the hardest moments of our life," said Ethan's dad, Jack.

Jack knew that if Ethan was to fight this, he'd need more than just his own strength to pull from.

"Took a good look in the mirror to figure out what to do, and it was number one, advocate for Ethan and figure out the best plan of action for him, work with the doctors, and then work on Ethan‘s mental health, his brother's mental health, and our families' mental health and attitude," he said.

Jack Weiner

"The next morning, I woke up and I just realized it's worth fighting," Ethan said. "I have a great life. I love planes."

 After being diagnosed in Phoenix, he was told recovery would be long, including chemotherapy and radiation, ultimately, his family chose to see a brain surgeon in Memphis.

"It was a 5-centimeter tumor," Jack said. "It was sitting right in his brain stem, on top of his nerve pocket that controls all of your motor skills."

(Jack Weiner)

This explained why Ethan was having trouble with his balance before being diagnosed.

Twelve days after his diagnosis, Ethan's tumor was successfully removed.

"I have to have a good tide due and just be positive," he said.

When he woke up, he was greeted by his family wearing shirts with a slogan he coined along the way.

"You have to have a good tide, attitude," Ethan said.

Have a Good Tude Dude is now the name of a non-profit he's trying to create to give back to others facing a similar battle.

"Right now, we raised about $4,000," Ethan said.

While creating merchandise for Have a Good Tude Dude, he's also working for JSX, an air carrier at the Scottsdale Airport.

"I now have a two-year contract with them so they can use any of my pictures for JSX," Ethan said.

And being the incredible young man he is, he found a way back through his love for planes, too.

"For Make-A-Wish Foundation, I'm giving a family free round-trip flights on JSX," he said.

Ethan Weiner

In sharing his story, Ethan wants us to remember this.

"You have to Have a Good Tude Dude," he said. "It will be good in the long run. You just have to keep fighting every single day."

Have A Good Tude Dude
https://haveagoodtudedude.com/