KERNERSVILLE, N.C. —
A Kernersville 6-year-old is inspiring his community with bravery and positivity after undergoing surgery for a rare brain tumor.
Bennett Reel, a student at Piney Grove Elementary, loves monster trucks, baseball, and playing on the playground.
In April, his family noticed something was wrong.
"I would say my head hurts, my head hurts. I would get a little louder every single time, and the last time was when I would throw up," Bennett said.
His mother, Lauren Reel, shared that his teachers at school first observed his pain.
"His kindergarten teacher actually told me that he had been getting severe headaches and then vomiting right after, and I would have to go pick him up from school," she said.
That's when Lauren decided it was time to see a doctor. After being told it could be a sinus infection or his eye pain may be the result of needing glasses, they were referred to Brenner's Children's Hospital for another opinion.
"Don't stop advocating for your child and then go with your mom gut," Lauren said.
After numerous scans at several children’s hospitals and a surgery to remove fluid from his brain, Bennett was feeling a little better. But his family said the headaches and nausea returned and doctors confirmed a tumor was in his brain.
"That was kind of scary going from being called a lesion, or a bump on your brain, to a tumor," Lauren said.
He was referred to a pediatric neurosurgeon in Tennessee to determine if the tumor was cancerous.
Bennett was brave throughout the whole process, and even gave the tumor a name: Ralph, named after the Disney character Wreck-It Ralph because it was beating up his brain.
Three weeks ago, Bennett underwent surgery at a Memphis hospital to remove the tumor. Last week, the Reel family learned the tumor was cancer-free and it was identified as a rare benign mass called intracranial infantile hemangioma.
"As of 2024, there was only one article ever written about this, and Bennett is the oldest to have had this. Normally they're found when you're an infant. His was over an inch big and it had been growing since he was born," Lauren said.
Bennett's dad, Daniel Reel, said even their experienced surgeon hadn't seen it before and called it a "zebra."
"This was a man that's done thousands of brain surgeries and you know he's seen all kinds of different types of cancers and tumors, and he just basically was like 'I have no idea'."
The surgery, however, faced obstacles. The Reel family said they were uncertain if the procedure would even be possible.
"We went in for our pre-op appointment, and the doctor said right now your insurance is denying this," Lauren said.
After contacting insurance companies, hospitals, nurses, a patient advocate, friends, family, and even state legislators, the case was escalated to the right person. "It wasn't until 12 hours before the actual surgery that we knew for a fact that it was going to happen," Lauren said.
When asked how he stayed brave during all the surgeries and hospital visits, Bennett said, "Let them do the stuff and pray a lot."
A message that took Daniel by surprise.
"There were a lot of people praying and we felt it," he said. "In our faith we believe in the power of prayer and for him to notice, that's a proud dad moment."
Since his first brain surgery months ago, the community has rallied around Bennett.
"There was a book fundraiser, there's a Pampered Chef fundraiser, there was a yard sale, a lemonade stand, all kinds of fundraisers because people love you so much!" Lauren said.
Daniel said the response from those around them has been uplifting and humbling. His art teacher even painted the rock outside his school to say 'Brave like Bennett.'
"Humanity is still alive and strong, and for us it has humbled us to see how many people genuinely just love Bennett, and they love us, and we're just grateful for that," he said.
Lauren and Daniel said that working with a patient advocate helped them make sure that Bennett's surgery could happen and hope to inspire other families to keep pushing for their children's needs as well. Bennett said in addition to t-shirts and bracelets, he wants to give away a white bike with 'Brave like Bennett' stickers on it.
The family hasn't reached their GoFundMe goal as of July 14, 2026. You can check out their story in their words and how much money is left to go here.
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