Owen was diagnosed with cancer in October 2022 at 10 months old. He was born with a tumor in his abdominal wall. It was initially found during the 20-week prenatal ultrasound and he was monitored closely throughout the pregnancy with a couple of MRIs and countless ultrasounds. It remained stable throughout the pregnancy.
When he was born, an initial biopsy indicated it was a benign tumor called a myofibroma. This type of tumor is usually slow-growing so Owen’s medical team recommended a watch-and-wait approach.
He had a MRI at 4 months old that was stable and then an ultrasound in mid-July 2022 at 7 months old which also appeared stable.
In late August 2022, Owen was admitted to Children’s Hospital for high blood pressure and fast breathing. Another MRI revealed that his tumor had grown rapidly and significantly since his last ultrasound. It was putting a lot of stress on his little body. On 9/1/22 he underwent an urgent and major surgery to remove over 90% of the tumor. The pathology from the surgery initially looked just as it had when he was born- like a myofibroma.
Owen recovered well from surgery but then about 4 weeks later started becoming irritable. At the beginning of October 2022, he was again admitted to the hospital and it was confirmed that his tumor was growing again. Surgery was not an option and so the team was now recommending chemotherapy to shrink the tumor. In addition, they sent out his tumor for a second opinion on the pathology since it grew so aggressively. In mid-October 2022 his tumor was reclassified as a malignant tumor called spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma.
With being just a baby when he was diagnosed with cancer, Owen had a hard time gaining weight and staying on his growth curve. He ended up getting an NG tube to help him grow and gain weight. Additionally, from having two major surgeries and feeling sick and weak from chemotherapy, he had a difficult time catching up on his gross motor skills like crawling and walking.
We’ve tried to keep life as normal as possible for Owen’s older brothers, but it is hard not having the time or energy we’d normally devote to them. The big boys (and our whole family) have needed to miss out on special events due to the circumstances. We’ve also dropped days of work so that one of us can be with Owen each day of the week for the countless appointments and unexpected trips to the clinic or hospital.
Owen is the youngest of three boys and he LOVES trying to keep up with his big brothers – they make him laugh the hardest out of anyone. He also loves trains, school buses, tacos, and Bluey!
Hope session by Teri Groth Photography | Facebook | Instagram