Averie's journey
Donation protected
From Averie’s Mom, Melissa:
To say Averie has not had an easy life for only being 3 is an understatement. She has already had to endure more pokes, prods, drugs and hospitalizations then some of us ever will in our lifetime. At only 9 months old she lost her appetite and couldn’t gain weight. After a year of endless testing on her gastrointestinal tract, we thought we had the answer with a diagnosis of delayed stomach emptying. Weighing only 15lbs at 1 1/2 years, she was scheduled to get a feeding tube. Only then, while in the hospital, the doctors decided to scan her brain as the vomiting wasn’t adding up.
That’s when Averie’s and our world turned upside down. We got the diagnosis of a brain tumor in our baby. Within 4 days she was having brain surgery and the surgeons already knew they were not going to be able to get the whole tumor as it was in her brainstem. They did what they could, knowing any further invasion could have paralyzed Averie, or even stopped her heart. Two weeks later we got the horrifying news that the tumor was cancerous, and so we started down the path of the longest journey of our lives.
Averie did chemotherapy every week for a year to start with. At first things looked good, but by 9 months in, the chemo was failing and the tumor was growing again. She has battled infections with her compromised immune system and had to have a feeding tube placed as she continues to vomit, and struggles to eat.
Now, with the tumor growing, and the remaining chemo options requiring months to impact the tumor, the doctors are sending her in for radiation in Houston, TX. This is a terrifying step due to the risks to her brain, but at this point we have no other choice.
Despite the ongoing chaos of medical treatment after medical treatment, Averie will still give you a smile or at least a scowl :) She is a fighter, and we will be right there by her side for as many years as it takes for her to win this battle. Through support we have faith she will do great things and continue to hope that she will be able to live a normal life one day.
Please pray for our little girl as this journey has uncertainty at every turn. We will beat this. Relocating for this treatment and taking a leave of absence from work was not in our financial plans, but there are no other options. After so many have asked how they can help us, we have finally decided to open a gofundme. If you want to contribute to Averie and her fight, we would appreciate it.
#averiesjourney
#braincancerwarrior
#fcancer
Amazing video of Averie by Kara Robinson ❤️❤️❤️
To say Averie has not had an easy life for only being 3 is an understatement. She has already had to endure more pokes, prods, drugs and hospitalizations then some of us ever will in our lifetime. At only 9 months old she lost her appetite and couldn’t gain weight. After a year of endless testing on her gastrointestinal tract, we thought we had the answer with a diagnosis of delayed stomach emptying. Weighing only 15lbs at 1 1/2 years, she was scheduled to get a feeding tube. Only then, while in the hospital, the doctors decided to scan her brain as the vomiting wasn’t adding up.
That’s when Averie’s and our world turned upside down. We got the diagnosis of a brain tumor in our baby. Within 4 days she was having brain surgery and the surgeons already knew they were not going to be able to get the whole tumor as it was in her brainstem. They did what they could, knowing any further invasion could have paralyzed Averie, or even stopped her heart. Two weeks later we got the horrifying news that the tumor was cancerous, and so we started down the path of the longest journey of our lives.
Averie did chemotherapy every week for a year to start with. At first things looked good, but by 9 months in, the chemo was failing and the tumor was growing again. She has battled infections with her compromised immune system and had to have a feeding tube placed as she continues to vomit, and struggles to eat.
Now, with the tumor growing, and the remaining chemo options requiring months to impact the tumor, the doctors are sending her in for radiation in Houston, TX. This is a terrifying step due to the risks to her brain, but at this point we have no other choice.
Despite the ongoing chaos of medical treatment after medical treatment, Averie will still give you a smile or at least a scowl :) She is a fighter, and we will be right there by her side for as many years as it takes for her to win this battle. Through support we have faith she will do great things and continue to hope that she will be able to live a normal life one day.
Please pray for our little girl as this journey has uncertainty at every turn. We will beat this. Relocating for this treatment and taking a leave of absence from work was not in our financial plans, but there are no other options. After so many have asked how they can help us, we have finally decided to open a gofundme. If you want to contribute to Averie and her fight, we would appreciate it.
#averiesjourney
#braincancerwarrior
#fcancer
Amazing video of Averie by Kara Robinson ❤️❤️❤️
Organizer and beneficiary
Ami Wangeline
Organizer
Littleton, CO
Melissa Chik
Beneficiary