Hi, my name is Logan, and my stepfather, Roger, and I are starting this fundraiser for my precious Momma, Dawn Parris. As some of you may know - if you have been following our story thus far - Mom was diagnosed on December 4th of 2023 with Nasopharyngeal Cancer. What was thought to be a very bad ear infection, turned into a nightmare for us all. This particular carcinoma is incredibly rare and it affects the part of the throat connecting the back of the nose to the back of the mouth. So many tears were shed, so many questions were being asked, and so many nights were sleepless. Our lives were turned upside down by the big "C." Immediately, we began this journey with many doctor's appointments, many private meetings with oncologists, nurses, navigators, surgeons and dietitians.
One month following this devastating diagnosis, Mom became more and more symptomatic. She became more congested, it was becoming harder for her to swallow, talk and eat, and she was extremely exhausted and very confused. Days and nights went by without any sleep and we could all tell that it was becoming harder for her to handle. On January 3rd of 2024, we were scheduled to take Mom to have her feeding tube (PEG) and her chemotherapy port placed. Surgery went smoothly and she was one step closer to her treatments beginning. The night of January 3rd, we noticed her breathing becoming more and more of a problem, so we ended up in the Emergency Department that night, where she was then sent home with oxygen - thank God. It seemed to help for awhile... until it didn't.
Days went by... and they became harder on my sweet Momma. January 17th, she was to go to have her radiation mask fitted for her radiation treatments. One step closer... right? Once she had been fitted, she was to go to her main treatment facility where we were to start her radiation treatments that day. As she was laying on the table in the radiology department, minutes away from radiation to begin, she could not tolerate lying flat, and her breathing was extremely labored. Fatigue, exhaustion, shortness of breath and feeling a sense of doom... they did not proceed with the radiation that day, but recommended her to go to the Emergency Department to be admitted so we could take care of why it was so hard for her to breath on her own. Now we wait. Doctors entered. Nurses entered. Respiratory therapists entered. Lab technicians entered. Yet, nothing seemed to help. The tumor was growing, and it was growing extremely fast. This was the cause of her low oxygenation and inability to breathe.
January 18th, 2024, 2:30pm... Mom stopped breathing and her heart stopped beating. Our world crumbled beneath our feet. Thankfully, we have an AMAZING GOD and we had a great healthcare team that took care of her quickly and performed a 10-minute long cardiopulmonary resuscitation. She was intubated and placed on a ventilator... next stop, the Intensive Care Unit. That night, we watched healthcare members carefully transport her to an ICU room, where she remained on the ventilator for awhile, multiple IV's, many drips, lots of oxygen and many, many tears. Was this the end of the road? We hadn't even begun treating her yet. However, God makes NO mistakes.
January 19th, 2024: Roger and I quickly became adjusted to visiting hours. Sleeping in the waiting room until it was time to be back in the presence of OUR ENTIRE WORLD. Every second that we were allowed, we were there by her side. In the middle of that day, Mom was transported to surgery where she had her tracheostomy placed. This was put in place to create an opening in the trachea from outside the neck to help her better breathe on her own, since the tumor was already blocking her oral/nasal airway. God is GOOD. The surgery went beautifully and she was one step closer to waking up. The nurses told us that overnight they were going to wean her off of the ventilator in attempt to see if she could breathe on her own, attempting to reawaken her lungs and get them back to functioning on their own.
January 20th, 2024, 6:35am: Roger and I were on our way back to the hospital to be there as soon as visiting hours began, when we received a phone call from one of her nurses... "Do you have an eyepatch, a change of clothes and her glasses for her to wear," she asked. Roger and I looked at each other with confusion, and answered, "Yes. We actually have an entire bag packed with anything she may need." She then answered, "Okay, wonderful. She is asking for her glasses." Our hearts skipped beats, our bodies trembled at the fact that our favorite person in the world was finally AWAKE. Praise JESUS! We got to the hospital as fast as we possibly could, to then walk into mom's ICU room and see her awake and sitting up in her chair with the biggest smile on her face. We wrapped her up into our arms, laughed, cried and thanked God to be able to see her smile again. We were thrilled. She would stand up with assistance and begin dancing with her nurses. How amazing! She is such a fighter and such a warrior of God. We were so amazed and so incredibly proud of her.
January 22nd, 2024: Mom was admitted to Inpatient Oncology and our chemotherapy process began. Mom started her treatments - they were extremely aggressive due to her tumor being further progressed than we had anticipated. However, she tolerated it like the warrior that she is and we couldn't have been more proud. They wanted to keep her inpatient to monitor her for awhile. A few weeks later, we were allowed to go home.
February 2nd, 2024: HOME BOUND! Momma was absolutely thrilled to be back in the comfort of her own home. Our babies, Beau, Jax, Buddy, Gia, Max, Charlie and Peaky (dogs and cats) were more than thrilled to finally have their momma back home to cuddle and snuggle as much as they wanted - being careful of course with her new tracheostomy. Roger and I cared for her and made sure that she was well taken care of. She was progressing well and she was happier than ever.
February 6th, 2024: Roger took Mom back to have another round of chemotherapy - fighting with such aggression. Proud didn't even begin to describe how we felt towards her. She was a fighter and has not given up at all. Alongside the treatment, she was tolerating it more than well. Nothing other than head and neck discomfort. Her precious hair began to fall out, and we planned on a killer hairdo. A mohawk was even an option. She was still absolutely gorgeous and still breathtakingly beautiful.
The next couple of weeks following chemotherapy, our doctors told us that she would not have to undergo anymore chemotherapy treatments, due to the fact that her tumor was "shrinking," and that she would begin her radiation treatments within the following weeks. We were absolutely astonished. We praised God and we praised her for her undeniable strength. She is one incredible woman. There was happiness that filled our home. A sense of normalcy filled our hearts and minds as we watch her progress into the woman we knew her as before. We couldn't wait until this battle was OVER. GOD IS SO GOOD.
February 28th, 2024: Roger took Mom to get her radiation mask altered to where her tracheostomy would fit into it, as her radiation would begin soon. She began complaining more and more of neck pain within the last few days and it was not getting better - even with pain medication. They had completed the alterations and they were free to go back home. As they were heading home, Roger noticed Mom beginning to slur her words, she began to drool and she was unable to swallow or move her tongue. His quick reaction and sudden recognition of these changes in her condition, allowed him to turn the car around and rush back to the Emergency Department where they did rule out a stroke - thank God. But... her tumor had increased in size. Increased? How is that possible? We were making such progress. Two aggressive treatments of chemotherapy, and still no progression? What was happening. We were admitted back to Inpatient Oncology.
Her doctors made their appearances within the next few days and brought us not so great news. With the two failed attempts of aggressive chemotherapy, her tumor had grown to the point of affecting the base of her skull and her C1 and C2 vertebrae. Here come the tears again. Our whole world, a mother, a fiancé, a sister, a daughter, and a friend is back to square one. Our hearts are filled with devastation and filled with complete sadness, to know that her chemotherapy didn't work. But, there is still hope. God is good and He makes no mistakes. He is the almighty physician. He is the ultimate healer. He is miraculous. He loves us and He will not allow her to fail.
On March 4th, 2024, we began radiation treatment. Mom has tolerated it extremely well thus far and we are awaiting the fifth round come tomorrow. Mom will receive 7 weeks of radiation (35 rounds overall) and we will fight to the very end until this tumor is gone forever. We are blessed to be able to care for her throughout this process. God has given us a gift to be able to hold her hand and walk alongside her through this journey. God will love her through this. We will love her through this.
From Mom herself: "I want to take time to thank each and every one of you who have been following my journey. If my story can help at least one person, then I would be so grateful. I love each and every single one of you."
Roger and I are asking for funds to help with medical bills, as well as help with daily living expenses as Roger and I have both had to alter our work schedules to be able to stand beside mom during this time. We appreciate any generosity sent our way and love each and every one of you as brothers and sisters in Christ.