Help Mary Davis Rutledge Beat Cancer

On Friday, August 12th, 2022 sweet 2-year-old Mary Davis Rutledge went to her ENT for what was supposed to be a routine surgery for many toddlers, removal of her adenoids that seemed to be swollen. 10 minutes into the procedure, the doctor came to the waiting room and delivered life-changing news to Mary Davis’s family: her adenoids were completely normal, and they instead discovered a large mass in her airway. The next two weeks were a blur: hospitalization for CT scans, an MRI, and a biopsy of the mass that left her on life support for two days because of throat swelling. Then came the news that no one is ever prepared for: cancer.

No family ever thinks it will be their child who receives a cancer diagnosis. And yet, two weeks after the canceled surgery, Mary Davis’s family received the devastating news that she has an extremely rare and aggressive cancer called a rhabdoid tumor, which leading cancer research centers estimate occurs only in 20-25 children across the US yearly. Sweet Mary Davis has already started chemotherapy and has an arduous journey in front of her, with evidence that the cancer involves her lungs. In addition to the chemotherapy she has already started, she is facing at least 9 months of treatment which will include surgical removal of the tumor and radiation.

This GoFundMe is to help with direct medical expenses for Mary Davis and for her family. Her parents are currently away from work, with an unforeseeable date that they might be able to return. Mary Davis's oncologist has recommended that they travel to Ohio to seek a second opinion from an oncologist who has researched and published studies about this very rare cancer. The whole team caring for Mary Davis is certain that she needs aggressive treatment but knows that she needs to be evaluated for possible additional treatments that are not available in Mobile, AL where the family and support systems are. With all of these uncertainties, the family will need help with funding for travel, lodging, and food.

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