Hope for Tristan
Donation protected
Beautiful Tristan
Imagine being told that your beautiful, healthy child has a serious brain tumor. This is what happened to Matt and Lauren in December 2015. Two weeks before, their toddler Tristan started rubbing his left eye, and only days after visiting their family doctor in Bellingham, Lauren and Matt were sent to get an MRI scan in Seattle. It was there that Tristan was diagnosed with a very rare, dangerous form of brain and spinal cancer, and they were told that they would need to relocate to Seattle and begin a long, arduous path towards treatment.
At different times along their journey, Lauren and Matt have been told that few children have survived this type of cancer, that Tristan’s brain tumor had grown since diagnosis, that he also had metastatic disease (the brain tumor cells had spread to his lower spine), that radiation treatment to his whole brain and spine would likely have devastating effects on growth and cognitive development because of his age, and that surgical removal of the tumor was not possible. A week after diagnosis, they also learned that Tristan has a baby sister on the way, due in August 2016.
In such an impossible situation, there have also been gems. Tristan has had an explosion of language, producing new words every day, sometimes every hour! He has also continued to surprise his team of doctors and specialists- his left eye has almost completely recovered its inward movement and tracking. During 5 months of grueling chemotherapy, Tristan was often seen cycling, laughing, banana-vacuuming, and high-fiving nurses in the cancer care ward. He is a very empathetic little guy, and he would worry about a crying baby in his ward, saying “Baby waah” and then offering his best solution for heartache or pain: “Mama up hug milk”. At times when his parents would break down, he would come up gently, wipe the tears and hold their faces, saying “Hug”.
Every child who has any type of cancer is a superhero. In Tristan’s case, the type of cancer is extremely rare (1 in 5 million) and its location is even more unusual and delicate. This means that the most important gift that anyone can give Tristan and his family is hope. Hope has come in many forms for them: home-cooked meals, messages of love and support, visits from friends and family, and countless care packages. This page was set up to offer another avenue of hope: financial support. Funds raised through this site will go towards the thousands of dollars in medical costs from operations, scans, medical supplies and hospital stays. Tristan is an exceptionally beautiful, strong boy, and he is surrounded by love that will see him through. Thank you for any form of hope that you can offer Tristan, Matt, and Lauren!
Imagine being told that your beautiful, healthy child has a serious brain tumor. This is what happened to Matt and Lauren in December 2015. Two weeks before, their toddler Tristan started rubbing his left eye, and only days after visiting their family doctor in Bellingham, Lauren and Matt were sent to get an MRI scan in Seattle. It was there that Tristan was diagnosed with a very rare, dangerous form of brain and spinal cancer, and they were told that they would need to relocate to Seattle and begin a long, arduous path towards treatment.
At different times along their journey, Lauren and Matt have been told that few children have survived this type of cancer, that Tristan’s brain tumor had grown since diagnosis, that he also had metastatic disease (the brain tumor cells had spread to his lower spine), that radiation treatment to his whole brain and spine would likely have devastating effects on growth and cognitive development because of his age, and that surgical removal of the tumor was not possible. A week after diagnosis, they also learned that Tristan has a baby sister on the way, due in August 2016.
In such an impossible situation, there have also been gems. Tristan has had an explosion of language, producing new words every day, sometimes every hour! He has also continued to surprise his team of doctors and specialists- his left eye has almost completely recovered its inward movement and tracking. During 5 months of grueling chemotherapy, Tristan was often seen cycling, laughing, banana-vacuuming, and high-fiving nurses in the cancer care ward. He is a very empathetic little guy, and he would worry about a crying baby in his ward, saying “Baby waah” and then offering his best solution for heartache or pain: “Mama up hug milk”. At times when his parents would break down, he would come up gently, wipe the tears and hold their faces, saying “Hug”.
Every child who has any type of cancer is a superhero. In Tristan’s case, the type of cancer is extremely rare (1 in 5 million) and its location is even more unusual and delicate. This means that the most important gift that anyone can give Tristan and his family is hope. Hope has come in many forms for them: home-cooked meals, messages of love and support, visits from friends and family, and countless care packages. This page was set up to offer another avenue of hope: financial support. Funds raised through this site will go towards the thousands of dollars in medical costs from operations, scans, medical supplies and hospital stays. Tristan is an exceptionally beautiful, strong boy, and he is surrounded by love that will see him through. Thank you for any form of hope that you can offer Tristan, Matt, and Lauren!
Organizer and beneficiary
Robin Sonderland
Organizer
Portland, OR
Lauren Beven
Beneficiary
