Dominic’s Journey: Lymphoma Cancer Support

Hi, my name is Cassandra, I am creating this on behalf of my cousin, Krystal, Dominic’s mom. Dominic is 13 and loves playing Xbox, Playing with Jack (his dog), fishing, bow fishing, camping, dirt bike riding, moral mushroom hunting, and going for walks in the woods with Jack. He has just been diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma Stage 2A. All money will go directly to helping with medical expenses, travel, and to compensate for all the time off Krystal will need to take off work to be with Dominic. Thank you for all your support and prayers!

1/16 Update from Krystal:

How and where do I even begin.

Dominic has had a cough and struggling to breathe since the beginning of December. He was put on a course of antibiotics and steroids over a couple weeks time then breathing treatments and inhalers because they were thinking it was his asthma flaring up again after the antibiotics did not work.

During that 5 week period there was a lot of frustrations on both mine and Doms side because nothing was giving him relief. My mom gut knew something else was going on I just couldn’t get anyone to listen. This past Wednesday I finally had enough after another long night of breathing problems. I called his doctor and refused to get off the phone till something more was done. I took a video of him and his breathing while he was sleeping. I sent it to his doctor and an X-ray was ordered. We went to RMI for the X-ray and before we got home we got a call from his doctor to go straight to Hurley ER, due to a large mass found in his upper chest. The doc called ahead and said he needed a CT scan and further testing to confirm. The next few hours were absolute hell. The ER doctors came in and confirmed the mass and said it was cancer. My world crashed. I stood at the end of my sons bed knees shaking, stomach turning, trying to listen but only thinking, don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t let your kid see you cry!

We were moved upstairs shortly after and the next morning we were briefed on the plan. Dom needed a biopsy to confirm the type of cancer we are dealing with. The problem now was the mass is so large that it’s compressing his windpipe. In order to do the biopsy we would have to be transferred to UofM Ann Arbor where they have an ecmo machine. So off we went by ambulance to Ann Arbor.

Upon arriving at UofM we were greeted by a team of docs and started the process all over again. Friday he had his biopsy and a picc line put in his arm for chemo treatments. The mass wraps around his windpipe so the biopsy and picc line placement had to be done while he was awake. If they were to sedate him or give him too much medicine to relax him, it would relax the soft tissue and cause the mass to suffocate him and he would have to be put in ecmo. All the doctors said he did amazing. He asked a lot of questions and watched the whole thing. I’m so impressed with his strength through all of it. Saturday he had another CT scan done as well as a PET scan to check to see if it has spread anywhere else.

So where we are now, he has Hodgkins Lymphoma Stage 2A, thankfully the PET scan did not show any other spots but the CT scan showed a lymph node in his groin area is slightly enlarged and Chemo will start this week. Due to the location of the mass surgery is not an option it is too risky.

We are here for awhile till they can start treatment and they know he can safely go home without risk of the mass crushing his windpipe. All I ask is for lots of positivity, prayers and strength for us all.