UPDATE: After believing that Lee’s Will’s tumor was successfully removed and Lee continued treatments we were devastated this week when his parents noticed a bruised and swollen testicle. The blood supply had already been cut off to this testicle from the new tumor and was removed but the CT also showed 2 more at the back of his abdomen.

As you can imagine this is devastating news and now in the midst of the Holiday Season sweet little Lee and his family will be doing their best to deal with this.

Please open your heart and check book to help this beautiful family.

In March of this year I never could’ve imagined what it would’ve been like to be told your 4 year old child has cancer, but here we are. We got the results of the biopsy and started treatment right away and move on with our new normal life. The biopsy did come back positive as being a Wilms tumor. It is extremely common in children with cancer. We will begin by be doing six weeks of chemotherapy weekly and then see how everything is reacting. The hope is to remove the kidney at this time. If it hasn't begun to shrink enough we will continue for another six weeks and again reevaluate. There will be visible side effects but we are not dwelling on those please. He will also get to be a little couch butterfly for the next six weeks to protect that kidney at all costs. Right now the goal is to get feeling better so we can bust out of the children’s hospital in Sioux Falls.

UPDATE: Lee could use a lot of prayers for his tumor to start shrinking asap. There is a chunk of dead tissue on the tumor indicating the chemo schedule is working. An echo indicates his heart is healthy as well as his good kidney. Unfortunately, the tumor growing faster than it's dying and is putting a lot of pressure on other important organs. We recently went into the ER at 2am for labored breathing and a very hard and distended belly and found out from CT scans the tumor has grown rapidly. We were flown back to Sioux Falls and are currently in the PICU. It is even more dangerous than before to operate and is completely off the table unless it shrinks. Another tube has been placed in his nose to help with suction of the stomach from the top side as well as an enema to clear his bowels. The goal is to lessen the pressure the tumor is putting on his chest. He is getting oxygen and will receive his feeds through his IV. A more aggressive chemo regimen will likely begin to introduce more potent chemos and hopefully attack any part of the tumor that may have unfavorable histologies as we don't have all the results from the biopsies four weeks ago yet. We are also looking at the possibility of aggressive radiation for hope of rapid shrinking, however this could cause scar tissue that may make kidney removal more dangerous. Right now the oncologists, pediatric surgeons, kidney doctors, and radiation specialists are all discussing the best possible move forward. At this time it is too dangerous for us to go home, and we will be spending the foreseeable future in the hospital. The pressure on the aorta and severe pressure on the lungs being the biggest concerns. So yeah Lee could definitely use some positive prayers for comfort and tumor shrinkage soon. Also be thinking about the other two boys as they just got there world upended as well and have no clue why. Lee is no longer allowed to sit up, he must remain in a supine position to keep pressure off his lungs and heart . Please keep Charlie and baby Drobny in your prayers also ❤️

UPDATE: Lee was intubated and sedated today. It did take pressure off his lungs, although there were serious concerns about doing it. Today a DR from Rochester has accepted him and he will be traveling to Rochester on Monday. KEEP HIM IN YOUR PRAYERS!!!!!

This young family not only needs all of our prayers, but our support due to the financial burden this will put on them. Please dig deep and help. Thank you and God Bless you!