Baseball Hall of Famer Gary Carter is in grave condition as new brain tumors are discovered

NORTH PALM BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 20, 2012) — Baseball Hall-of-Famer Gary Carter, 57, is in critical condition at Duke University Medical Center as doctors found more brain tumors yesterday, according to his daughter, Kimmy Bloemers.

Bloemers wrote on the family's Web site that Carter's condition started to worsen around Christmas, when he started to complain about headaches. Carter fell on Christmas day, tearing his rotator cuff.

Bloemers said her dad's condition deteriorated over the next several weeks, where he also complained about having problems balancing and feeling tired, which cased him to fall.

Carter, a Hall of Famer catcher for the New York Mets, is fighting brain cancer, and doctors spotted new spots on a new MRI performed yesterday at Duke University. Bloemers received the call from her father's doctors, who have been treating him for brain cancer.

Carter, known also as "The Kid," was unable to attend his own charity golf tournament a few miles from his Palm Beach Garden home, where he spent the week due to fatigue.

Carter's doctors are now considering whether to stop treatment, feeling that it will not work, according to family sources.

Two weeks ago, Carter spoke to the New York Daily News, and spoke about his frustrations and fears that his cancer is getting worse.

“I'm not feeling too good,” he told The News. “It’s been coming on and coming on. I’ve had a chest cold. I’ve got sores in my mouth, blood clots. I get sick. There’s just so many things. It's been nine months now and I don’t feel any different from Day One. I haven’t been up to doing any interviews.”

On the family's Web site, Carter's daughter also shared her concerns, writing, “Friday, my dad got two MRIs in North Palm Beach, Florida, one for his brain and one for shoulder/arm. I wish I could report the results were good. I write these words with tears because I am so sad for my dad. Dr. Jimmy Harris will be coming to my parents’ house this evening to talk to the family about the next step.”

On May 21, 2011, after complaining for weeks of headaches and forgetfulness, doctors found four malignat tumors on his brain. He was treated with massive doses of chemotherapy radiation at Duke University Medical Center. Doctors confirmed that Carter has a grade IV primary brain tumor glioblastoma multiforme, an extremely aggressive cancer.

Doctors have said that the particular type of tumors Carter has are inoperable. The News reported that the tumors are the same type that proved fatal for other baseball players, such as Bobby Murcer, Dick Howser, Jonny Oates, Dan Quisenberry and Tug McGraw.

Carter, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003, will be receiving the the Milton Richmand/Dan Castellano "You Gotta Have Heart Award" Saturday night. His daughters Kimmy and Christi, and his son, D.J., will accept the award form him at the New York Chapter of the Baseball Writers of America awards dinner.

“This is an unbelievable journey, nothing I could have ever imagined,” Carter said in that interview with The News two weeks ago. “God is helping me get through this.”

Major League Baseball has set up a "Get Well Wish" Web site for Carter. It can be found here at: http://getwellgary.mlblogs.com/2011/06/02/24/