Thursday, October 1, 2026
If you travel near Mark Lane in Atlantic Beach, you might find a young boy in a wheelchair, with a smile and jokes to boot. That is 11-year-old Austin Neugeboren, who just reached the 18th month battling a recurrent brain cancer.
Neugeboren was first diagnosed in February of last year, after doctors at NYU-Langone in Mineola discovered a “plum-sized” mass. On March 5 2025, He underwent surgery to remove the grade 4 glioblastoma, followed by several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation at Winthrop.
Austin’s cancer returned nearly a year later, on Jan. 11, when doctors discovered a tumor’s progression after he suffered a seizure while in the bathroom — and since then, Brian Neugeboren, Austin’s father, said it’s been a battle.
After completing a “washout period,” a temporary pause in his treatments and medications, Austin began using a trial drug through Memorial Sloan Kettering. But after seven weeks of cycles of chemotherapy, infusions and the trial drug, he suffered a setback.
On April 1, Austin had another surgery to place a shunt — a small tube used to redirect cerebrospinal fluid away from the brain. Brian said that was when mobility became a challenge. He noted Austin began having difficulty moving his left side, and eventually his right.
“He has sensation everywhere,” Brian said, noting Austin spends most days in the living room on a recliner. “He’ll ask [to bend his knee or straighten his leg]. He can’t do the things he loves, like playing with Legos or his phone. It’s frustrating.”
In May, Austin completed a 10-day course of high-dose radiation and underwent an infusion every three weeks. He was also approved for another clinical trial from Bristol Myers Squibb involving a new drug that helps target the DNA marker, MTAP, which Austin lacks.
From Aug. 6 to 12, Austin attended Sunrise Day Camp in Wyandanch for children with cancer. While there, he immersed himself in activities like obstacle courses, swimming, a train ride and attended a STEAM lab.
Deanna Slade, director and vice president of camping and related services at Sunrise Day Camp, said Austin always came back with a smile and jokes.
“After the first day,” Slade said. “Brian and [his wife] Yim, were like ‘This might be his only day.’ And the fact that he wanted to come back every day was incredible. It made our care team happy for him to do all his favorite activities.”
While Austin’s MRI results in June and July showed signs of improvement, there’s more work to do. On Aug. 21, Brian said he and Austin met with NYU-Langone’s Rusk Rehabilitation, which helps improve mobility in patients with spinal injuries.
“We know the reality of this disease but statistics don’t get to tell us Austin’s story,” Brian said. “We’re incredibly grateful for every day we have with him and we’re looking forward.”
Their next goal? Austin walking in 2026.
There’s a Venmo that directly benefits the Neugeboren family to offset the cost of treatments. Those interested can send donations to Austin-Fundraiser-2026.
