Help support baby Cillian and family

My best friend Jessica and her husband Cody’s baby Cillian has had an unimaginable two weeks, at only 4 months old he has been diagnosed with Retinoblastoma, a rare childhood cancer of the eye.

On August 13th Jessica brought baby Cillian to a pediatric eye doctor in Tampa due to some concerns they had with his eyes. That appointment lead to an initial diagnosis of bilateral retinal detachment which in itself was devastating; the eye doctor told them Cillian would need surgery on both eyes to hopefully repair his retinas. Once his pediatrician got news of this diagnosis he instructed Jessica and Cody to bring Cillian to Bascom Palmer eye institute in Miami. They made the over 3 hour drive on the 14th where they were told they needed to be seen ASAP by the retinal surgery team, so thankfully they were able to squeeze him in for an early appointment on Monday the 17th. The appointment on the 17th included retinal scans and ultrasounds of both of his eyes, Jessica and Cody then got the news no parent ever wants to receive, the testing showed tumors in both of Cillian’s eyes, which the retinal-oncologist they met with said was highly likely to be Retinoblastoma.

On August 21st, Jessica and Cody had to drive back to Miami so Cillian could have an eye exam under anesthesia. After the exam, the diagnosis of bilateral Retinoblastoma was confirmed. Cillian will start chemotherapy on August 25th, he will need to have chemotherapy monthly for the next 6 months. Due to the type of chemotherapy required for his diagnosis they will have to drive to Miami to Jackson Memorial as it is 1 of only 6 hospitals in the country to offer the specific treatment he needs.

Jessica and Cody will need all and any support they can get through this extremely difficulty time. To know Jessica and Cody is to love them. They are the most amazing parents to not only baby Cillian but his two older sisters Addie and Zoey. They would do anything for anyone and never ask for anything, now more than ever they need our support and love.

This GoFundMe has been created to help ease some of the financial burden that comes with this journey, including medical expenses, travel, time away from work, and the many unexpected costs that come with caring for a child during treatment.

If you’re able to donate, every single contribution will make a difference. And if you aren’t able to give financially please share this fundraiser so we can reach as many people as possible and please pray for baby Cillian and his family during this hard time. There is also a meal train that is going to be started and shared. Anything we can do to help Jessica and Cody during this time will be more than appreciated.