CARMEL, Ind. -- Gabriel Howell is in the fight of his life.

"They call it a melanotic neurorectodermal tumor. It's a very rare type of tumor," said the toddler's mother, Brandy Howell. "They don't have a lot of experience with it."

To doctors' knowledge, only 300 or so cases have been documented in the world since the turn of the century.

In the case of the 20-month-old Bedford toddler, the tumor has been tenacious.

Shortly after Gabriel’s birth, a small, bony mass on his nose quickly disfigured his face and grew over his eye.

A biopsy found it was benign.

Doctors removed the growth twice in surgery. But each time it grew back faster and bigger.

Then last week came a devastating blow.

"Very traumatic, very emotional, knowing it turned cancerous, not understanding why," Brandy Howell said.

Dr. Randy Hock, of Riley Hospital North in Carmel, is treating Gabriel. Hock had never treated a melanotic neurorectodermal tumor until now.

To understand the disease better, Hock turned to colleagues around the globe.

Together, they've come up with a plan of attack: chemotherapy treatments over the next year. Therapy began Wednesday.

“We do think there's hope. There’s not always hope for a cure, but we certainly hope to care for children. And I think with this case there is hope to cure this disease," Hock said.

Those are reassuring words for a mom who must reassure her son.

"He gets really upset, cries a lot," Brandy Howell said. “I think it comforts him to have mom or dad hold him.”

Staying Healthy reporter Stacia Matthews asked Howell about who was comforting her. Howell fought back tears and responded, "God, I hope. We have a lot of family support."