Help 12-year-old Nico battle brain cancer!

Nico is a 12-year-old boy from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who was diagnosed on January 11, 2023 with an extremely rare type of brain cancer called CNS germinoma, that is only found in 3% of all pediatric brain tumors. Nico is being treated very aggressively with multiple rounds of chemotherapy, followed by multiple rounds of radiation. With this aggressive treatment, Nico is already feeling the severe and cruel side effects of the chemo. But you would never know what he is going through judging by his amazing attitude. He is a truly awesome kid. He’s so full of joy and kindness and compassion for others. Every family has a superstar kid and Nico is ours. He’s incredibly smart. Last year he was accepted to the rigorous Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, due to his excellence in science and math. He also received the honor of being invited to a private luncheon at the mayor’s office when his art was selected in a district-wide art contest. He loves all things sports; his ability to recite stats is remarkable! He has a truly special love for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He never misses a game. When he’s not kicking cancer’s butt, he LOVES playing baseball for the 14th ward and has made the all-star team every year. In addition to his brains and natural-born athleticism, Nico is a gifted musician who has been playing cello since he was in diapers. He also plays piano, courtesy of his Grandma Kiki, who is a concert pianist and Suzuki piano teacher.

Nico is currently homebound while fighting cancer because it is too dangerous for him to be around crowds or be exposed to any bacteria or viruses. He misses his friends and teachers and cannot wait to get back to school with his peers. Nico is an amazing big brother to his little sister, Laila, and he idolizes his big brother, Dorian, to whom he is extremely attached. He’s the oldest of all of his cousins and takes his role as the eldest very seriously. He adores his little cousins. He is the nicest and most selfless kid who has the biggest heart. Nico has faced this scary and punishing diagnosis head on with so much optimism and tenacity. Everyone around him is in awe of his ability to find the humor in things that would make the rest of us feel sorry for ourselves or cry. He has handled his cancer diagnosis with so much optimism that it’s contagious. You can’t help but be happy around him. He never complains or whines about the awful side effects he endures and the terrible pain and discomfort he deals with on a daily basis. Incredibly, he only worries about others and how they are handling it. When he was diagnosed, his first concern was to make sure his little cousins weren’t told about it, because he didn’t want them to worry about him or be afraid of him. He told his mother, “Make sure they know I’m NOT going to die and when they see me, they should treat me like they always do. I’m still just Nico; I’m not Nico with brain cancer.” Truly admirable!

Unfortunately, Nico’s family has taken a huge financial hit since learning of his diagnosis. Nico is at Children’s Hospital on a near daily basis due to complications that have arisen from the chemotherapy. His family has been financially debilitated due to the 24/7 care they are administering to Nico, while constantly expending money on gas, parking, and medications as Nico’s condition worsens. While attending to Nico, his mother and father are continuing to care for their 9-year-old daughter and Nico’s live-in grandmother, who is physically and mentally disabled due to a brain aneurysm. This is a very challenging time for their family and they are simply unable to continue to meet their financial obligations while putting 100% of themselves into Nico’s survival. Most importantly, they have recently learned of a Pediatric Proton Beam Therapy offered at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, which would replace the radiation Nico was to receive in Pittsburgh after finishing his chemo. Proton therapy is ideal because it has much less debilitating long-term side effects. The family strives to get Nico into this life-changing program, but they cannot put their plan into action without the necessary funding to allow them to uproot their lives in Pittsburgh and temporarily relocate to Philadelphia this summer. Any donations you can give, big or small, will literally change the course of this incredible little boy’s life.