My name is Diana. I am asking for your support for my nephew, Tristan and my sister, Ruth. Tristan was born with neuroblastoma that spread from his kidney to an inoperable tumor in the liver and his bone marrow. Within hours of his birth, he had surgery to remove what cancer they could and began chemo. The prognosis was poor. He was baptized and we prayed for Tristan, Ruth and the doctors. Through the grace of God, Tristan was declared cancer free. It is now 16 years later and he has cancer again. Instead of learning to drive, his body is learning again how to fight cancer.
To see Tristan, you would not know that he had cancer or chemo as a baby. At a young age he was diagnosed with a mild form of cerebral palsy. Growing up, he had lots of appointments, therapies, leg/foot braces to assist his muscles to develop the correct way, as well as Botox shots every three months. To help Tristan have a better quality of life and financial future without expensive Botox shots, his doctors confirmed he was a good candidate for a spinal surgery to help his legs and end the Botox. The doctor ordered pre-surgery brain and spinal cord scans which discovered his brain tumor. Instead of spinal cord surgery, he had brain surgery near the end of April to remove the tumor.
Lab test results revealed that his tumor was a high grade neuroepithelial tumor with a very rare form of gene fusion. It is aggressive and often recurs. Chemotherapy is not used to treat this type of tumor. When he relapses and radiation is no longer an option, they do have some other treatments available. I believe God is still looking out for Tristan because this particular fusion type, with treatment, at least provides a possibility that he can survive a relapse. The rarity of the tumor makes it difficult to obtain statistics. We are hoping and praying for the best. Tristan started radiation treatment on the 27th of May, it is every day, M-F for the next 6 weeks.
Both of Tristan’s parents love him and are very supportive of him. His father is a Firefighter and Ruth is a Deputy Sheriff so it is no wonder that Tristan is a born fighter. He has faced every challenge with courage and strength. As a strong single Mom, I know my sister will never ask for the help I know she needs. Insurance doesn’t cover everything. The chemo treatments require 3 hours of driving a day. Previous medical bills are still due from Botox, medications, hospital visits, appointments and tests.
Tristan’s type of cancer is never going to allow him to escape the appointments and monitoring. But he is a fighter, has a wonderful community support system and God is on his side. All donated amounts would be used to assist with travel expenses for treatments, medication, food, medical/mental health expenses and regular monthly expenses. All donations to help Tristan is appreciated more than words can express. Thank You!
