Help Josh and Sandra
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Willow Amanda Pearl Lanto is our beautiful little girl who changed our lives on October 18 2018. We were introduced to life as parents. changing diapers, cleaning bottles, kissing owies and watching her develop and grow into the smart, beautiful little lady that she is today.
We've watched her go from crawling to walking. We've heard her go from babbling to talking. We've learned every word to every song in frozen and have watched every episode of paw patrol and Peppa pig a dozen times over.
A week after her third birthday our lives were changed again in an entirely different direction when she was diagnosed with a pontine glioma.
We noticed she had been shaky on her feet and couldn't walk or even stand without stumbling. Around the same time she developed a lazy eye. We took her to the doctor who referred us for a brain scan. An EKG led to a CT then to an MRI and finally a diagnosis.
Fluid build up on the brain due to the tumor on her brain stem. She was operated on to create new pathways around the brain for drainage of fluid. Surgery went well and we were hopeful for a speedy recovery and return to normal life. We were then told of the severity of her condition.
Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a brain tumor that is highly aggressive and difficult to treat. It occurs in an area of the brainstem called the pons, which controls many of the body’s most vital functions such as breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate. This tumor is the principal cause of death among brain tumors affecting childhood. Most patients are diagnosed before seven years of age. After diagnosis, median survival is usually nine months. Only 10% live for more than two years.
Unfortunately, very few children are cured from pontine glioma. The only proven treatment is radiotherapy, which can improve a child's symptoms in up to 75% of cases. However, the benefit is usually short-lived and the tumour starts to grow again after a few months.
As her parents we are devastated. There's so much we want to do with her and so little time. We always dreamed of seeing her grow up, go to school, make friends and live a happy, normal life. Our only hope now is to make her final days with us the best they possibly can be.
We want to spend every minute we possibly can with her. As a low income family this is very difficult to do. We've both decided to take off work to be with Willow. Money will come and go but memories and time spent with loved ones is forever.
We've watched her go from crawling to walking. We've heard her go from babbling to talking. We've learned every word to every song in frozen and have watched every episode of paw patrol and Peppa pig a dozen times over.
A week after her third birthday our lives were changed again in an entirely different direction when she was diagnosed with a pontine glioma.
We noticed she had been shaky on her feet and couldn't walk or even stand without stumbling. Around the same time she developed a lazy eye. We took her to the doctor who referred us for a brain scan. An EKG led to a CT then to an MRI and finally a diagnosis.
Fluid build up on the brain due to the tumor on her brain stem. She was operated on to create new pathways around the brain for drainage of fluid. Surgery went well and we were hopeful for a speedy recovery and return to normal life. We were then told of the severity of her condition.
Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a brain tumor that is highly aggressive and difficult to treat. It occurs in an area of the brainstem called the pons, which controls many of the body’s most vital functions such as breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate. This tumor is the principal cause of death among brain tumors affecting childhood. Most patients are diagnosed before seven years of age. After diagnosis, median survival is usually nine months. Only 10% live for more than two years.
Unfortunately, very few children are cured from pontine glioma. The only proven treatment is radiotherapy, which can improve a child's symptoms in up to 75% of cases. However, the benefit is usually short-lived and the tumour starts to grow again after a few months.
As her parents we are devastated. There's so much we want to do with her and so little time. We always dreamed of seeing her grow up, go to school, make friends and live a happy, normal life. Our only hope now is to make her final days with us the best they possibly can be.
We want to spend every minute we possibly can with her. As a low income family this is very difficult to do. We've both decided to take off work to be with Willow. Money will come and go but memories and time spent with loved ones is forever.
Co-organizers (3)
Sean Lanto
Organizer
Bay Roberts, NL
Josh Lanto
Beneficiary
Lyda Byrne
Co-organizer
Terrilynn X
Co-organizer