My name is Teresa and this is the story about a little boy named EJ who was full of energy and life. Eager to learn new things, he would sit in front of the tv for hours watching the Animal Planet or the Discovery Channel and then telling me about how many different types of monkeys there were or what new inventions or discoveries that were made. Always so intuitive with everything he learned. Some mornings he would watch the Weather Channel just so that he could tell me if it was going to rain or be sunny and hot. He liked to get a jump on things.
But he was also a typical boy, who loved playing with cars or action figures and running around the house acting like his favorite superhero. Sometimes when he thought I wasn't looking he would sneak 3 cookies instead of the 1 cookie I told him he could have. Still always close to my heart, my little boo bear as I would call him until he was "too old for me to call him that."
Now, all grown up, graduated from high school, BMT school, and with a family of his own, he was getting ready to enter the world of intel. This was to be the beginning of the career he had dreamt of for so long. After many months of grueling interviews with a gov background investigator, he was finally accepted for intel training. He left for Texas on March 22nd and would be gone for 6 months. Until my worst nightmare came to life.
On April 17, 2015, my son EJ was diagnosed with stage 4 Sarcoma (Desmoplastic small round cell tumor) Cancer. It is a rare soft tissue cancer that strikes adolescents and young adults and is usually found in the abdomen.
Being the strong willed man he is he was ready to "get over this bump in the road" as he would call it. Before he could start chemo he had to have 3 procedures done: a biopsy, the placement of a port, and a Nephrostomy bag. On April 21, 2015, he began round 1 of 9 sessions of chemotherapy that would eventually led to surgery.
On December 9, 2015, EJ had his surgery. It consisted of an opening from his chest cavity down to his pelvis. He had 20% of his liver removed, his gallbladder, appendix, spleen, some reproductive organs, the big tumor in his deep pelvis, and a portion of his GI tract removed. He also had a temporary ileostomy placed. After many hours of waiting and multiple updates from each of the surgeons performing the surgery it was finally over. The surgery was a success and his recovery went very well.
On April 1, 2016 he had the temporary ileostomy removed and was in the hospital for just a couple of days. After that his doctors recommended he do about 6 months of maintenance chemo to kill any remaining cancer cells. They hoped the maintenance chemo would give EJ a chemo break for a long time and all he would need to do is come in for a CT scan every three months. With the surgery and prior chemo the doctors gave him a 25-30% chance to live past five years.
Everything seemed to be going as planned. Then on May 12, 2016, EJ went in for a CT scan and the results showed his cancer had grown back in his liver, lungs and colon. Without starting treatment right away the tumor in his colon could create another block in his bowels and bladder.
On May 16, 2016, EJ began chemo again for 5 days on and 2 weeks off. But because his body was so week from previous chemo treatments and surgeries, by the end of the first week of chemo EJ was not doing well at all. Since then he has decided not to continue with chemotherapy. Instead he will be seeking alternative treatment with the help of a Naturopathic Specialist, Dr. Dan Rubin, out of Scottsdale, Arizona.
EJ will be starting with a consultation session that will cost $465. Costs after that are unknown at this time. That is why I’m starting this campaign to help cover travel expenses, treatment costs and any other unexpected expenses.
On a more personal note, as a mother your whole life is dedicated to caring for and about your children; protecting them from things that could hurt them and doing the little things you do to make everything all better, no matter their age. It pains my heart to see my son go through this and knowing there’s nothing I can do to protect him from it.
My hope is that with your generosity and well wishes EJ will overcome this and prevail like he did once before.
Please keep EJ in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you so much!
But he was also a typical boy, who loved playing with cars or action figures and running around the house acting like his favorite superhero. Sometimes when he thought I wasn't looking he would sneak 3 cookies instead of the 1 cookie I told him he could have. Still always close to my heart, my little boo bear as I would call him until he was "too old for me to call him that."
Now, all grown up, graduated from high school, BMT school, and with a family of his own, he was getting ready to enter the world of intel. This was to be the beginning of the career he had dreamt of for so long. After many months of grueling interviews with a gov background investigator, he was finally accepted for intel training. He left for Texas on March 22nd and would be gone for 6 months. Until my worst nightmare came to life.
On April 17, 2015, my son EJ was diagnosed with stage 4 Sarcoma (Desmoplastic small round cell tumor) Cancer. It is a rare soft tissue cancer that strikes adolescents and young adults and is usually found in the abdomen.
Being the strong willed man he is he was ready to "get over this bump in the road" as he would call it. Before he could start chemo he had to have 3 procedures done: a biopsy, the placement of a port, and a Nephrostomy bag. On April 21, 2015, he began round 1 of 9 sessions of chemotherapy that would eventually led to surgery.
On December 9, 2015, EJ had his surgery. It consisted of an opening from his chest cavity down to his pelvis. He had 20% of his liver removed, his gallbladder, appendix, spleen, some reproductive organs, the big tumor in his deep pelvis, and a portion of his GI tract removed. He also had a temporary ileostomy placed. After many hours of waiting and multiple updates from each of the surgeons performing the surgery it was finally over. The surgery was a success and his recovery went very well.
On April 1, 2016 he had the temporary ileostomy removed and was in the hospital for just a couple of days. After that his doctors recommended he do about 6 months of maintenance chemo to kill any remaining cancer cells. They hoped the maintenance chemo would give EJ a chemo break for a long time and all he would need to do is come in for a CT scan every three months. With the surgery and prior chemo the doctors gave him a 25-30% chance to live past five years.
Everything seemed to be going as planned. Then on May 12, 2016, EJ went in for a CT scan and the results showed his cancer had grown back in his liver, lungs and colon. Without starting treatment right away the tumor in his colon could create another block in his bowels and bladder.
On May 16, 2016, EJ began chemo again for 5 days on and 2 weeks off. But because his body was so week from previous chemo treatments and surgeries, by the end of the first week of chemo EJ was not doing well at all. Since then he has decided not to continue with chemotherapy. Instead he will be seeking alternative treatment with the help of a Naturopathic Specialist, Dr. Dan Rubin, out of Scottsdale, Arizona.
EJ will be starting with a consultation session that will cost $465. Costs after that are unknown at this time. That is why I’m starting this campaign to help cover travel expenses, treatment costs and any other unexpected expenses.
On a more personal note, as a mother your whole life is dedicated to caring for and about your children; protecting them from things that could hurt them and doing the little things you do to make everything all better, no matter their age. It pains my heart to see my son go through this and knowing there’s nothing I can do to protect him from it.
My hope is that with your generosity and well wishes EJ will overcome this and prevail like he did once before.
Please keep EJ in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you so much!