This is the Lailer family–my sister and best friend Erin, her husband Dan, their two beautiful sons Jackson and Liam, and their Italian Greyhound Sterling, whom the family calls Sissy girl. 

On July 21st, 2020, at an emergency ophthalmologist appointment made after Erin noticed a strange “glow” in Liam’s eye, she and Dan learned the unimaginable. Their sweet baby boy was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma–a very rare and aggressive childhood cancer. Liam was 9 months old at the time of his diagnosis. Before learning to walk or to eat solid foods, Liam’s battle against cancer began. 
Liam was immediately referred to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute at Boston Children’s Hospital, one of only 4 centers in the country specializing in the treatment of retinoblastoma. There, Erin & Dan’s worst fears were confirmed, and their entire world came crashing down around them. Liam had a large, Stage D (Stage E being the most severe) retinoblastoma growing rapidly in his left eye in close proximity to the optic nerve–a direct path to his brain. His retina was fully detached, and the chance of saving any vision in his affected eye not good. Doctors told the family to prepare for an extremely long, difficult and emotional journey. 
 
In the months since, in an effort to kill the cancer, hopefully save his eye, and prevent the spread to other parts of his body, Liam has undergone four rounds of intra-arterial chemotherapy–a long and delicate neurosurgery that involves threading a catheter from the groin, to the ophthalmic artery behind the eye where concentrated doses of chemotherapy are delivered. This tiny little warrior has been under anesthesia countless times in a nightmarish cycle of chemo, surgeries, sedated exams and scans, MRIs, and most recently an injection of chemo directly into his eye.

While his doctors are hopeful that his main tumor is responding to treatments, several new seeds and tumors have rapidly grown. After a disappointing attempt to fight these reoccurrences with laser treatments, Liam bravely underwent a more aggressive round of chemo surgery, as well as the first of what will be multiple rounds of interveinal chemo injections, in what his doctors feel might be the final attempt to save his eye.
 
Liam has now been in treatment for half of his life. His strength and resilience throughout this journey has been nothing short of amazing. He remains our happy, mischievous, little boy with a huge personality, contagious laugh and a smile that lights up everyone’s world!


We don’t know what the future holds at this time–but whether Liam’s eye can be saved or if its removal is the only way to save his life, he will be subjected to continuous testing, evaluations and treatments until he’s well into his school-aged years and likely beyond–with the added possibility of life with a prosthetic eye.
 
I can’t imagine what it must feel like to have the word cancer attached to my infant child, or to be thrust into such a heartbreaking series of family upheavals with such alarming speed and urgency. I am grateful that Liam is being treated at one of the premier cancer hospitals by world-class pediatric cancer specialists but know that the cost of this and future medical care will be immense. Dan and Erin will continue to spend months traveling to Boston and beyond for ongoing treatments and evaluation cycles. Erin has also left her job in order to focus on Liam’s health.

Dan and Erin are blessed to have an incredible network of friends, family, and community, many of whom have asked how they can help to support them in this most difficult time–our family has set up this GoFundMe as a way to do that. We hope to help Erin and Dan with the costs of their beautiful little warrior’s ongoing medical care as he continues to fight this battle against such an unpredictable and life-threatening disease.

The support, love, prayers and positivity for Liam and his family over the last nine months has been truly humbling. To all of those who have already supported them, and to those who continue to do so, our most sincere thanks.
#LiamLionStrong