Help Cassady through the Removal of a Brain Tumor

Hi everyone, my name is Leah Moler and I have the honor to be the mother of a unique kid named Cassady Bolles.  This fundraising effort is to support Cassady's long struggle with seizures and the recent diagnosis of having a brain tumor. 

Cassady is 13 and incredibly strong, compassionate, sarcastic and curious, with stunning blue eyes and a head of thick golden hair.  She is bright and clever, loves swimming and anything that brings her near water, hanging out by a campfire, long drives, music, writing and staying cozy.  She connects with many different kinds of people, and always tries to be inclusive.

 

Cassady was diagnosed with a glial neuronal brain tumor in September 2021.  She is in the hands of an excellent medical team at Seattle Children’s Hospital where she will undergo a craniotomy to remove the tumor on 11/18/2021.

We are in need of your help and support as our family moves through this very difficult and stressful time in our lives.

The backstory:

 

Cass remembers having seizures everyday as far back as she can recall.  Seizures that cause confusion, dissociation, nausea, and make speaking uncomfortable. 

 

I witnessed one for the first time only 2.5 years ago when she was 10.  The next morning brought us to the ER where we got a referral for a neurologist and later an EEG which confirmed that she does indeed have epilepsy.  This was, of course, devastating and shocking information.

Cassady has always thrived in school and is overall a super healthy and robust kid.  But all along she had been hiding the uneasy, awkward experience of her daily seizures from everyone ~ her family, teachers and peers.  She has spent so much time throughout the years planning how to handle these “awkward moments”, such as isolating herself socially and avoiding situations that didn’t offer her an escape plan, or joining in courageously knowing she risked having moments of confusion and embarrassment. 

And so we began down the road of medications, further EEG’s and many doctor visits… and increasingly missed school days.  For Cassady, the post-ictal phase (the period of time immediately following a seizure), includes a headache and bellyache that leaves her debilitated and under the covers.  She experiences anywhere from 1-10 seizures in a 24 time period, occurring overnight as well and disrupting sleep patterns.  The occurrence of these symptoms has increased over the years and changed her ability to stay involved in daily life in a positive and active manner

Last March (2021) after a long term (2.5 day) EEG, it was determined that her epilepsy is in fact drug resistant, which means that medications do not effectively relieve her of these daily seizures.  This is usually the case after trying 2 or more medications unsuccessfully, we tried 5...with minimal efficacy and plenty of unpleasant and sometimes dangerous side effects.

After extensive testing at Seattle Children's hospital in September 2021, an MRI revealed a tumor in the left hemisphere of her brain which is affecting the amygdala and hippocampus.

The tumor is very likely the cause of the seizures and widespread suffering Cassady has experienced over her lifetime.  It is slow-growing yet must be removed, as well as the left amygdala and part or all of the left hippocampus.  Precisely how much of those brain sections are removed will be determined during her craniotomy next week.

Fortunately, the outlook is positive and low risk.  But, this is still a major and serious procedure to get through, mostly of course for Cassady but also for the rest of our family.

While brain tumors sound (and are) scary, we are actually celebrating the connection of her seizures to a tumor because once it is removed, it is likely that the seizures and related multiple symptoms that have plagued this kiddo will finally be resolved.  

However, this has presented quite a list of needs, which I organized here as the immediate, near-future, and ongoing-future needs:

Immediate needs

• Travel:
   We will be spending 5-7 days in Seattle for surgery which will include the cost of travel expenses, lodging and meals.

• Basic needs:

   I will be taking 2-4 (+?) weeks from work to be present with her both during the procedure and in the acute healing phase.

Near future needs

• Wellness aftercare:

   Although the medical bills are, fortunately, covered by insurance, the wellness aftercare needed will be vast and we have no way of knowing yet how much it may amount to.  Cass will certainly heal more fully and quickly with regular acupuncture, counseling/psychotherapy, water therapy, bodywork, etc., and I aim to line up a therapeutic treatment for her to look forward to on a weekly basis. 

• Increased availability to Cassady:

   I will be returning to work in December or January, however it will not be full time so that I can continue to be available for whatever needs will arise.

• Therapy for Cassady’s sister Gwen, to help her cope with this monumental event in our family. Gwen has been strongly affected by seeing her sister experience her symptoms. 

Ongoing future needs

• Travel

   Cassady will be required to travel to Seattle several times at least over the next 6-18+ months for ongoing testing, which means travel, lodging and meal expenses. 

• Continued therapy and care as Cassady's story unfolds

• Unforeseen expenses

**Any contribution you are able to make will be deeply appreciated and will go towards covering the needs that arise as we navigate this medical and family situation.  If a monetary donation isn’t possible at this time, please know that all prayers/well wishes/words of encouragement and love are just as equally valued.  Thank you for taking a moment to learn about this part of our family’s story.**