The Franklin family

Please help The Franklin Family ❤️

update 3/16/25

Noelle has been in the PICU at UNC chapel hill for 58 days recovering from her lung removal surgery on January 17th. On February 27, it was found Noelle had a metastatic spot in the left cerebellum of her brain. Thankfully the spot is very small and was able to have radiation completed on March 11th with one session.

On March 10th, Toni found a spot on Noelle's remaining right leg. Sadly, on March 14th it was confirmed this is yet again another metastatic spot from her stage 4 osteosarcoma. This upcoming week of March 17th, Toni and Dylan will begin having meetings with Noelle's medical care team regarding next steps. As of now there are 3 active cancer spots that they know of.

The family's primary focus is getting Noelle home whatever that takes to her family and to be in the comfort of her own home. Right now it looks like the soonest that can happen will be 2-4 weeks. They will need all the help and support in the coming weeks and most specifically once they are home. Going home Noelle will still be on a ventilator with oxygen and a lot of equipment so it will be quite the adjustment transferring and adapting to new life at home. If you feel inclined to help, the family is forever grateful.

Update 01/19/2025

On 01/17/2025 Noelle went in for her lung surgery which as we all know she rocked. The surgeons removed 53 nodules from her left lung and removed her whole right lung. Noelle went to the PICU after a 10 hour surgery and spent the first night doing her best to breathe which after a surgery of this magnitude wore her out. On 01/18/2025 Noelle had to have a small procedure to give her the much needed rest her body needed. She is currently still in the PICU and is still fighting as this will be a long road to recovery. After recovery Noelle will continue to receive treatment as there was one nodule that just proved too invasive to ensure Noelle a long lasting lung quality. The surgeons are very confident this spot is treatable and won’t stop Noelle. Noelle is a fighter who love God her family and friends she is the bravest girl we know and will continue to prove to us all she’s got this!

Update 9/22/24

Long overdue update on Noelle since we started this go fund me. We do have a 'Noelle Strong' Facebook group with frequent updates.

Noelle has since switched facilities and is being treated at UNC Chapel Hill. She is approaching her first surgery in the next 3-4 weeks which will be a hip disarticulation / full leg amputation. We will be working on the coming weeks with child life and psychologists. After surgery and some down time she will start back on chemo for 8 weeks to complete the full regimen for osteosarcoma. Once it is complete, there will be full scans done and we will prep for her lung surgery which tentatively will be open chest surgery to access both lungs at the same time to remove all lung nodules. These next few months we will have a lot going on, a lot to adapt to whether that is a wheelchair etc. She will be fitted for a prosthetic about 2 months after the surgery to allow time for recovery. Right now, we need her lungs to remain stable; and no grow bigger or spread.

6/5/24 update

Yesterday marked one month since our world got rocked and we are preparing to be admitted again tomorrow. The last few nights I have been restless as I know we are about to go into the hospital for Noelle's second round of chemo. Our first week home was a little bumpy but we have just been trying to be as normal as possible since. Noelle has been eating better, wanting to go outside, go on walks, have popsicles and we are just soaking it all in as I have come to accept it won't always be like that. As I got up earlier than normal this morning I'm sitting here reflecting how our end of the school routine is a little different this year. Thankfully we are all able to go and celebrate Christian's last elementary school awards but going into summer is a little different for all of us. One of the daily challenges we have come across with Noelle is that it is hard for her to understand the road we have ahead of us as far as time goes. She asks things such as "will my leg be big on the first day of school?" Or "when is this over so we can go to the pool everyday?" Hearing her ask all these kinds of questions shatters me as I don't want to 'lie' but also as many people have told me personally we all just have to take it day by day and not thinking 2-3 months from now which for me, is a lot easier said than done.

I cannot say it enough, but we have been beyond blessed with being able to attend the events that were put on for Noelle and so glad to see everyone who has attended, donated or reached out in support of our family. I come asking for more prayers, that Noelle is able to tolerate this next hospital stay and is a little bit more comfortable than the first as we don't have to go through the whole surgery part with port. These next 3 weeks are going to be a 'turn and burn' as it's her 3 weeks she has to go back to back and admitted each time before our next break end of June but this is our new normal and we will get through this. #noellestrong

5/17/25 update

These last 24 hours have been exhausting and tough. Specifically on all of us mentally. Noelle hates the hospital bed and wants nothing to do with it and just wants to go home while also struggling with the port being a part of her now. Due to waiting for tests we did not start chemo until around 2 am so needless to say all of us could probably sleep for 12 hours.

Noelle is a trooper and stronger than I could ever be. As today has gone on, I slowly see her spirits come down but that could be a combination of a lot of things. Seeing her like this shatters me inside but I am doing everything in my power to make she has all of the positive energy she needs. Day 1 down and many more to go. You will beat this baby girl ❤️

Update 5/13/24

Finally having a minute after getting settled in back home. Those drives to Duke are brutal but it is the last thing I am complaining about. Tonight is the first night it is just Dylan, Christian, Noelle and I at home. Although I know it will be like that a majority of the time, ever since we found out about Noelle's diagnosis we have had family here and coming home with more than just us 4 I think has been helping us. We continue our normalcy just as we did before our world turned upside down.

As I updated earlier, today consisted of base blood work, PET scan, echo, hearing test and then meeting with Noelle's oncologist to develop her 'road map.' Noelle's blood work was great despite the one marker that was severely elevated (which indicated a bone disorder), her heart function and imaging seems great, passed hearing with flying colors. I prayed all day regarding her PET scan. When we sat down at our last appointment to go over those results I felt like I could not breathe. The DR. explained it has to go through 'levels' of people to review it and presented to the board that's meet weekly but the first pair of eyes sees it is only showing in the 2 places we know about. The leg where it originated and the lungs. Concerning her lungs it is in both her right and left lung which we were told last week and wish it was not the case.

Our timeline is moving very fast as we will be being admitted this Thursday, May 16th. Noelle will not receive any outpatient treatment, each time she starts the next chemo drug we will have to be admitted. After the first 10 weeks, give or take, she will undergo her first surgery. Noelle will first have surgery on her leg and will have to have two more surgeries for each lung. Each surgery will be very extensive for her little body to go through. The timeline this is based on is about a 9 month period. After that depending where Noelle is at they begin to talk other options but I KNOW she will be improving come then. Before letting him walk out, I asked Noelle's doctor, Have you seen this beat? His response was yes but Noelle's condition is severe. Although my heart sunk with those words, Noelle will prove that this can be beat. Going to soak up these next 2 days with our little spitfire diva. #noellestrong

update 5/8/24

Today did not turn out as we hoped and prayed. The biopsy has not yet come back but the surgeon is 95% sure it is what he believed, osteosarcoma. We also confirmed it has metastasized to both lungs. With that being said they deemed it stage 4.

Our next step is meeting with oncology team tomorrow, PET scan Monday and starting chemo stat. Although we don't have a timeline this is going to be a very long road. With months of chemo followed by surgeries in between and more chemo.

We were delivered a lot of unsettling news today and I really believe Dylan and I are in shock. I am not sure if this is what grief feels like. I always have heard it comes in waves and that is definitely what I have experienced personally. I just want to hold on to her and not let go but at the same time keeping things as normal as possible, whether that is telling our normal jokes or blaring Taylor Swift. I am having a really hard time as to 'why?' I just honestly don't understand. Just last week we were in our normal daily routine with school, work, and activities and a week later we are here. But,

Noelle WILL beat this.

I cannot express enough gratitude for every single person who has reached out, donated, prayed. We appreciate it more than you know. This is something new we are navigating as well so any helpful tips or pointers we are all ears. Lastly, I ask for Noelle's whole oncology team, nurses, surgeons, and anyone else we encounter on this journey to be blessed with all of the knowledge and healing hands they need while working under God's hands to help my baby girl. #noellestrong

From Toni’s Facebook:

“On May 4th we brought Noelle into urgent care with what we thought was a bug bite. Never in a million years did I walk into that building on that normal Saturday morning, after going to the farmers market as a family, Noelle begging to getting fairy hair (which I gave in) and eating breakfast together watching ducks swim in a pond and walk out with what no one let alone a parent wants to hear. They found a mass on Noelle's leg that was deemed to be concerning. After being blessed with connections we were able to get her an appointment, that we had today, at Duke. Although we have no confirmation as of yet, it does appear to be osteosarcoma.

As we had a lot of questions going into this one was if it had spread. After performing a chest x-ray there are signs it has in both lungs. We go in tomorrow for a biopsy to get a piece of the bone. As far as what they saw on the chest xray I am PRAYING it is a very small amount. We have numerous appointments upcoming and I am not sure how I am even able to type this right now but please keep the prayers coming. I have prayed to God all day asking him to spare Noelle. Why is this happening? Why Noelle? I would take her place in less than a second. A lot is unclear right now and in the future as this is going to be a long road but I have my faith and an amazing community behind us ready to help Noelle kick this in the ASS.

I've always heard the term life can change in an instant and we have had a up close experience and can attest to that. I just want to thank everyone who has reached out. We appreciate it more than you know.”