Rally for Luna: Support Luna's Fight Against Rare Cancer

Hello! My name is Casey, and I'm one of Juan and Makayla's neighbors and friend in Northwest Arkansas. We are needing to rally around the Grande family more than ever right now.

Here's some of their story:

Sweet Luna just turned 3 months old a couple of days ago at the start of this Gofundme. She is already a fighter and has already been through so much.

Here is Luna’s medical journey thus far:

By August 3rd, Makayla had been at the ER twice with Luna, in another state. Makayla, River and Luna traveled to Arizona to be with family while Juan had to travel for work.

The first time was a Wednesday. The ER told Makayla that Luna had reflux and sent them home. Then, on August 3rd, Luna started running a 103 fever with diarrhea. They ruled out covid and UTI and sent her home.

All while having a very sick, new baby in Arizona, they ended up having car trouble which prolonged their arrival back home in NWA.

Luna had ups and downs with being sick. Luna’s parents knew something wasn’t right.

On Monday, August 12th, they had to take Luna to the ER at Children’s. They gave her fluids, did ultra sound, x-rays, blood work, urine and stool cultures the whole 9 yards. They said she tested positive for Norovirus, but most come back a false positive. Tuesday afternoon she was doing great, all lab work looked great, she was hydrated so they released her. That night she was back to vomiting and diarrhea. Then all day Wednesday she kept all her food down and seemed to be doing great.

Makayla took Luna for her monthly check up at the pediatrician Thursday morning, checked out then got her home and it all went down hill. Luna started getting worse. Pale skin almost grey like, sunken eyes, blank stare, super fussy and upset when not sleeping. Makayla looked at Juan and said, “That's not our baby. Let's go back to the Children's Hospital.”

They got there, they rushed her into triage and all her labs came back looking not good. She was very dehydrated.

From here, they were transported by helicopter to the PICU at the Children's Hospital in Little Rock. They tested her for Norovirus and it was positive so they've had her on a no milk only IV fluids until Friday afternoon. Her numbers were finally coming up and we were able to move from the PICU to the ITU on Saturday. There, Luna was doing well, holding down feedings, labs looked good and then Monday, early morning she started vomiting green. Luna had to have another ultra sound, contrast X-rays, and a CT and then another x-ray.

They found out that sweet Luna did need surgery.

This brings us to Friday, August 23rd. here, the surgical team were looking with cameras to see what is obstructing her bowels.

Unfortunately, Juan and River couldn’t be with Makayla and Luna because River had a cold.

Luna did amazing and the surgeon said she's so grateful they did the surgery that night and didn't wait because it could have been really bad. The very bottom of her small intestine was sick and so small she couldn't even fit her smallest instrument through it. She removed that part and then put her intestine back together. They were set to be in

Recovery at Children’s in Little Rock for a week.

Both of the surgeons said there is no explanation for the piece they cut out and they have never seen a piece of intestine look like that. The doctors said it wasn’t from birth. They were stumped and sent it off for testing. Luna stumped the medical world.

Sunday, August 25th, Luna was discharged and her family was ecstatic!

Well, on Monday night, August 26th, Luna ended back in the hospital. They got home from Walmart and went to change her diaper, and it was all blood. She went in to the hospital to find out she was anemic, bleeding out, needed a blood transfusion and a Vitamin K shot.

Here comes more heartbreak. Today, the pathology came back and they found out Luna has an ultra rare tumor/cancer that is part of her vascular system (blood) which is why she's bleeding. They will be going back to Little Rock where she will have a huge team including someone who specializes in this rare tumor to check her inside and out to make sure she doesn't have more tumors. They will also be cutting out more of the bowel where the tumor was removed to make sure their margins got it all and won't return.

The diagnosis is hemangioendothelioma if you would like to research it farther.

Here is where we come in as a family, as a community and as a group of humans rallying around this sweet family in prayer, food, donations, stability and life giving words and deeds. Juan will be unable to work as he will be fighting this fight that NO ONE wants to go through with his family. If you can give, anything helps!

Thank you so much for running in this journey with Juan, Makayla, big brother River and our sweet little fighter, Luna.