In October 2024, Bubba was diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer called Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis. He is multi-systemic (meaning tumors have been found in more than one place in his body) and BRAF positive. These two things make his cancer more aggressive and more likely to return after treatment. When we discovered his cancer, he had a 3.2 x 3.2 x 2.9 cm tumor (about the size of a golf ball) located between his eye and his brain that had eroded the bone in the back of his orbital socket, causing the tumor to press on both his brain and his eye. His main tumor was also wrapped around multiple muscles and nerves that control the movement of his eye. He also has multiple nodules (.5 cm or less) on his lungs. LCH is a type of cancer that originates in the bone marrow, causing his immature white blood cells to mutate and clump together to create tumors.

His treatment plan is intensive. He is scheduled for 14 cycles of chemotherapy over the course of a year. A cycle looks like 5 days of chemotherapy treatment followed by 2-3 weeks off to recover. Bubba has already been hospitalized multiple times for chemotherapy as well as a port infection. Unfortunately, due to his BRAF mutation, there is also a pretty high chance that his cancer could return after treatment.

Up to this point, we have struggled through, but we have finally hit a breaking point. Chemotherapy's effects are cumulative and we are now in the hard part. Bubba has 4 months of treatment left and his oncology team has decided to hospitalize him during his remaining treatments.

Bubba just turned 18 years old, and this diagnosis hit him during his last year of high school. He is a smart boy who is kind and generous. He loves all things electronic, especially computer programming. He was hoping for an internship with NASA this summer, and to go to college at MIT. All of his plans for the future, including high school graduation, have been put on hold for his treatment.

Currently, he is still living at home with me and his younger siblings. I am a single mom. When he gets hospitalized, I stay with him. I'm not going to sugarcoat it... We are struggling at this point to pay bills and stay afloat. I am asking for help to cover bills as well as parking and food during his hospital stays. We haven't asked for help up to this point, but we need it now more than ever. We are at risk of losing our home and my only vehicle. Your donations will help me be able to concentrate on what is most important - helping Bubba get better.