Meredith is our more serious and reserved child. She is 12 years old. She loves her pet bunny, succulents (and plants in general), Boba tea and Ramen, her friends, and going on new adventures. She has been playing the piano and taking dance classes for 5 years, and we hope she can continue both after recovering from her most recent treatments.
Meredith was diagnosed with cancer in 2020. Her brain tumor was completely removed. We discovered it had regrown in September of this year.
Meredith had 1 brain surgery in 2020, and she just completed 6 weeks of radiation at St. Jude in Memphis. She is on 4 lifelong medications. She cannot sweat, so she cannot be outside in heat for long. There are other complications, but they’re harder to explain – basically, minor incidents (like vomiting or a fender bender) can land her in the hospital immediately, and this will be lifelong also.
We are all the more thankful for God’s gift of life and each other.
At nine months Madison started to become very irritable, crying a lot, then she started to throw up every day and have yellow bile come up in the mornings. It got to the point where she did not want to play on the floor at all and had to be held all the time. This was not like her, she had always been a very happy go-with-the-flow baby.
After a few weeks and doctor visits I decided to take her to the hospital. It was then we learned that on her CT scan, she had a 4cm tumor on the back of her brain. She was immediately rushed to Duke Hospital where she underwent surgery and has been in the hospital since then getting treatment.
Madison has undergone three extended stays of chemotherapy in which she was in the hospital for five months getting treatment and had many complications. She was able to come home in August for three weeks in which she did a great job. After her three-week stay at home, she was re-admitted to the hospital for her first chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant procedure. After about four weeks she was able to come home for about a week. She was admitted this past week for her second round of chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant. She will be in the hospital for about a month and will have one more treatment after that. The goal is for her last treatment to be over by the end of the year.
I went from being a stay-at-home mother to a two-year-old and a nine-month-old. to having to stay in a hospital Monday through Friday with Madison and only getting the weekends with my other daughter. Also, my husband works full-time and would switch out and come to see Madison and take care of her on the weekends. It has taken a huge toll on her family but we have so much love and support from all of our family and friends. It has not been an easy transition but we have gotten through it and Madison is stronger than ever.
Griffin is the sweetest boy, just so full of joy! He loves being outside with his Mama and going on adventures. He is a tough kid who goes through everything without complaining. He loves to giggle and dance to music! His favorite song is Fire on Up by Paper Kings.
Griffin was diagnosed with a brain tumor on January 15th, 2023. He was 13 months old and very advanced, walking confidently and playing like a toddler. New Year’s Day 2023 we started to notice a slanted smile and he was starting to lose balance. A week later he had stopped using his right arm. We thought this was due to a stroke or an infection but an MRI showed that he had a mass in his brain roughly 1/4 the size of his actual brain. This began our journey and fight.
We have been through four rounds of chemo so far, and this has been a huge hit to our life both emotionally and physically. But, this has also been one of the things that has brought our family closer to each other and closer to God.
Griffin had some limitations early on, however after the original biopsy the incredible surgeon was able to remove fluid from one of the cysts in his brain and relieve pressure on the center of his brain. This gave him the ability to walk and play again! This has been a huge blessing during this battle.
Kennedy is fun, stubborn, afraid of missing out, and loves his family. He also loves hot wheels, music, and golf.
Kennedy was diagnosed with ATRT, a brain tumor, in August 2021. Prior to his diagnosis, he was vomiting and had head torticollis.
He has received two rounds of low-dose chemo, three rounds of high-dose chemo, three stem cell transplants, and 28 rounds of radiation to the brain. He requires a feeding tube (G-tube dependent), has problems with his balance, facial paralysis, sensitivity to sunlight due to chemo, and vision palsy.
It’s hard balancing brain cancer and life along with raising your other child, maintaining a relationship with your spouse, and the unknown of your child’s prognosis.
Kennedy turned two in October and shows courage and strength in his own way. He has brought an amazing spirit to everyone he has ever met.
Callan is a ray of light! He is 3 yrs old and loves his big brother and Super Mario. Life’s smallest things make him so happy. We go for walks, throw rocks in the river, play at the park, and ride bikes. He is happiest with Mom, Dad, and his brabbo (brother).
Callan was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) on April 9th 2023. Before he was diagnosed, he was experiencing problems with his balance and had facial paralysis.
Callan does not currently have any limitations but will be starting radiation soon. His cancer diagnosis has forever changed our lives.
Eric loves the San Diego Padres. He also loves playing baseball too. Eric likes to listen to music and watch YouTube. He loves being outside! He enjoys wresting with his 3 year old brother, Vinny. And they both love playing with our dog, Bruno.
Eric was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma at the ER on 5/19/22 – a brain tumor was discovered and it was fully removed the next day. The cancer had also spread to the spine and other parts of the brain.
Eric had three cycles of induction chemotherapy and three cycles of high dose chemo with stem cell rescue. Eric’s longest run in the hosptial was 99 days straight. His treatment was at Rady Children’s Hospital and was on and off of being impatient for 7 months. Moving forward, we will monitor his MRI’s and we hope to avoid radiation. Treatment has resulted in some weakness for Eric. He can walk but is still working on his strength so he uses a wheelchair for long distances.
Our lives are now completely different than before; with many doctors appointments, hearing aids, physical therapy, medications and injections. Eric’s immune system is weak. I lost my job to take care of Eric full time. We can’t wait for the days that we can be care free and not worried about Eric’s health.
