Grady’s Fight Against Ewing's Sarcoma

Every New Year the HOPE is that the following year will be better than the last. Since July 2021, after multiple years of fighting for his life, I have stood by my son, Grady, while he battled cancer. He suffered the most unimaginable torture in hopes of fighting his way back to some sort of normalcy. Slowly day by day there finally seemed to be an end in sight. A time when we would eventually rejoice and celebrate Grady’s brave battle. Our wish... for my son, Grady, to be healthy enough to rejoin the rest of the world. After multiple scans, every 3 months for the past year it seemed our prayers had been answered.

Our proudest moment was this past September, when we watched him walk into his first day of High school. It was a day that I will never forget and a day where I felt I could finally let out a breath I had been holding onto for far too long. He still had tough days, but he pushed through and managed to make the honor roll his first semester back. He had done it, he had made it, and the feeling was something none of us took for granted! A feeling that also came with gratitude for all the countless people who helped get us to where we were. 

Unfortunately, that feeling of security was short lived. On December 23rd, we received confirmation that his cancer was back. I didn't want to believe it...but this is reality at this point. Since that day, planning has begun. A very familiar feeling from a time not too long ago. The only issue is this time is we are fully aware of what will likely be expected but without the percentages/numbers in our favor. 

Ewings sarcoma is very rare and under researched. What is known statistically is that 56% survive their first fight and only 2% live up to 5 years should it come back. Especially if the area is inoperable, which is the case with Grady. His mass connects to his vertebrae(c1-c4), carotid artery, and the most difficult area, his cerebellum making surgery not possible. 

So here we are, the night before the New Year, the year that was supposed to be "Grady's year!" Instead of celebrating, we will be preparing to head back to Mass Gen in Boston for at least 3 months to begin treatment.

Over the next 2 weeks he will have his port put back in along with many tests including a bone marrow biopsy and a CT scan of his chest to see if his cancer has metastasized. Once we have the specifics, we will have a better idea of what course of action will be taken. 

At this point, as long as my boy chooses to fight and not give up, we will be right beside him doing the same! I will continue to pray for a miracle and never stop believing that we will get to a time in the future where we finally celebrate HIS YEAR! A year where he is healthy!

We’ve held out from telling people over the last week at Grady’s request. Even after receiving the worst possible news, his initial reaction was selfless and inspiring. His hope was to avoid upsetting or ruining the holiday for anyone.

I thank everyone for their love and support over the years, we wouldn't have made it this far without you! We continue to ask for prayers, and I will continue to update everyone when possible. As you can imagine Grady is my top priority and time with him is as valuable as it comes.

Any additional support people are kind enough to offer will go towards our living expenses while at Mass General for his treatment and we thank you all VERY much!

We ask that you not reach out to Tara and Rick at this time. You can leave them comments on here.