Abbys fight against Rhabdomyosarcoma

On the day before Thanksgiving, a healthy and active 11-year-old Abby received an MRI for back pain she had been having. Shortly after, Abby and her parents were on their way to Albany Medical Center, over an hour from home, where more tests were ordered and it was determined there is a large mass in Abby’s back, and fluid present in her lung as a result. As of today, Abby was diagnosed with Stage 4 Rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue cancer.

In just over one week, Abby has had CTs, MRIs, a PET scan, biopsies and procedures to drain the fluid from her lung. She will soon undergo surgery to have a port implanted for chemotherapy and will need radiation for the foreseeable future.

Abby’s mother, Christal Funk, a member of the Red Hook Fire Department and the EMS lieutenant for the last 2 years with this past year as acting EMS captain, her father, Jason Dingman, an employee of a local, family-owned food distributor company, Ginsberg’s, are preparing to support Abby as she faces these unimaginable upcoming challenges. Her brother, Salvador, who is also an active member of the Red Hook fire department and is finishing up his senior year of high school, is also standing by her side with strength.

Any donations made will go toward helping Abby’s family to provide her with the best possible treatment options, near or far. If anyone would like to donate directly to the family to avoid the 3% processing fee, please use Venmo or CashApp at: AbbysRMSfight

We are also working on setting up a CaringBridge website for all updates on Abby’s treatment and progress. Abby’s family thanks you in advance for your thoughts and prayers