A Tenino firefighter crashed his motorcycle on Monday, and his wife is thankful.
On Monday night, Kris Gray was riding his motorcycle between Roy and McKenna in Pierce County when he thinks a deer ran in front of him. Gray, 38, hit the brakes, and flew over the handlebars. He landed on the road about 30 feet from his bike. He doesn't remember much about the accident. "I do remember the bike fishtailing all over the place, and trying to save it," said Gray. "I don't know how I got from point A to point B."
Gray was wearing his helmet and riding gear. He was taken to Tacoma General Hospital to be treated for a brain injury and other bruises. When doctors examined Gray they found something he didn't know about: He had a brain tumor.
Gray's wife, Heather, said he rarely went to the doctor. The accident gave them more time to fight the tumor. With the size of the tumor, doctors were surprised Gray hadn't already started having symptoms, like tunnel vision and headaches.
I'm glad the accident happened," said Heather Gray. "He never goes to the doctor. He's been, I think, twice in the last 17 years, maybe. So had he not had that accident, we wouldn't have known he had a tumor."
Doctors have already told Gray the tumor on his pituitary gland looks cancerous. He's set to meet with a neurosurgeon, who will work to remove the tumor in the next week.