Hello everyone, 

My we would like to let everyone in on a very personal part of our lives. It isn’t easy to share but we feel it needs to be shared. 

This is going to be a long one, so be patient with me. 

As everyone knows Rich and I have been together for quite sometime (10 years,  we’ve also been blessed after 7 long years of trying, with the most precious little boy, Adonis. 

When Adonis was only 2 months, he was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma. Which is a childhood cancer. A tumor was discovered in his spinal canal, which is the space between the spinal and the vertebrae. It is a paraspinal tumor. Adonis immediately went to The Boston Childrens to have a Biopsy done on the tumor, and a bone marrow extraction. Adonis also underwent multiple special scans like an MIBG scan and MRI scans. This process helped us understand Adonis type of cancer and learn the genetics of the tumor. This process also helped us look deeper into Adonis body and make sure that the cancer wasn’t anywhere else in his body. 

Thankfully it wasn’t anywhere else in his body. 

With the hard work and intelligence of the Oncology team at The Jimmy Fund Clinic we found our diagnosis and a plan for chemotherapy. Shortly after, Adonis underwent surgery to have a PICC line placed in his arm which would help deliver the chemotherapy to his body. 

He soon had 4 rounds of chemotherapy. This consisted of one week worth of treatment and 21 days of rest in between with rotating MRIs to see the progress of the tumor. 

With success the tumor had shrunk significantly and Adonis was able to stop chemotherapy and get his PICC line removed. 

With frequent visits to The Jimmy Fund Clinic to see his Oncologist and quarterly MRIs after 6 months of being off chemotherapy Adonis wasn’t exactly in remission, but there was no “active disease”. Another words, the tumor and the cancer wasn’t growing, shrinking or spreading. As well as Adonis was showing no symptoms of active Neuroblastoma. 

Another 6 months passed, with quarterly MRIs and check ups with his Oncologist, Adonis was considered to be in remission. Not cancer free, but in remission none the less. 

Life was good, we carried on and started to enjoy all the things we couldn’t with treatment going on and the pandemic going on. 

Unfortunately, things have changed. 

As of 10/10/21 Adonis had his quarterly MRI and it has shown that his cancer has relapsed. Another words, his cancer is active again and his tumor has begun to grow again. With that information it was now time to begin the process all over again. 

Another MIBG scan, another MRI, another biopsy and bone marrow extraction. More blood draws and urine specimens to give. More research to be done. Again with all this being done, it was to make sure that the cancer hadn’t spread anywhere else in his body/organs nor into his bone marrow.  As well as learn the genetics of this tumor and make sure it was just Neuroblastoma, as it was when first discovered. 

Thankfully again, it had not spread and it was just the Neuroblastoma. It again is only in the location it was found in the first place, in the spinal canal, however it’s a bit larger than it was before. 

With time, his oncologist took the results of the MIBG scan, MRI, biopsy and bone marrow extraction, presented it to his team and The Board of Solid Tumors and created a plan and treatment for Adonis. 

This time around Adonis is expected to have 6 rounds of a much more aggressive chemotherapy. Which will consists of 5 days in a row of chemotherapy with 21 days of rest in between. He will also have MRIs after every 2 rounds of chemotherapy. This will be for the sole purpose of keeping an eye on the progress of his tumor. Whether it grows or shrinks or completely goes away etc. 

Today 11/8/21 was Adonis 1st day of his 1st round of his new chemotherapy plan. He’s home and is being the usual happy toddler he always is. We wanted to share this information with you all simply because we love our boy and want to raise awareness for childhood cancer. Including Neuroblastoma. We also wanted to share this information because we love our boy so much that we take pictures and videos of him and share it with you all. With that being said it was going to be obvious if we shared a photo(s) down the road and Adonis was bald because of his hair falling out from the chemotherapy.  

We will not be posting the journey or video recording any painful events such as port accessing, or of him at his worst when he’s not feeling well, or what most cancer parents do these days. We will share occasional updates of how he’s doing and the usual pictures of his bright smile and silly faces he makes. 

At this time we will be taking it day by day. 

I’ve gathered plenty of information with links attached that will answer any questions you may have when it comes to Neuroblastoma.  (Links provided in the comment section)

Thank you all so much for any kind words and/or prayers you have for us, and thank you for being so patient reading all of this. 

Take care