Help Heal AJ Castillo

During a family celebration this past Saturday, AJ experienced, what we now know to have been an “absence seizure.” Siloam Springs Regional hospital ran tests and x-rays with little result. Finally, a CT scan revealed AJ had a lesion measuring about 3 1/2 inches on the left side of his brain. At 3 a.m. AJ was immediately transported to Arkansas Children’s hospital in Little Rock where an MRI clearly revealed both a large cyst (fluid sack) and a tumor. Together they measure about the size of a tennis ball. Neurosurgeons are optimistic, based on its location, they can remove most of it with very little complications. They will then send it off for testing and let us know if any further conversations or treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy will be needed.

AJ has a road of ahead of him that begins this week with brain surgery.

Please pray for no complications during surgery. More specifically, please pray that the neurosurgeons will be able to remove all of the tumor without touching any of the 3 blood vessels nearby that could cause a stroke during surgery.

Ryan and Sarah never in a million years would have thought they would be going through one of their children having a brain tumor. Their immediate and extended family has been present every step of the way with Tori, age 3, and baby Ben who is 10 months old, as Ryan and Sarah navigate new territory.

As you can imagine, Ryan and Sarah will be out of work tending to AJ. If you are in a position to offer any help with medical expenses or other bills and costs as they will be out of work, they would be very grateful. We know they have a little set aside but they expect an ambulance ride to Little Rock, a hospital stay, and brain surgery will exceed what little savings they do have. Any help anyone can can share would be greatly appreciated, even if it’s a casserole. Healing and TLC can be hungry work.

From our entire family, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.