Everett (Rett) is a 1-year old little boy from Michigan who was recently diagnosed with bilateral Retinoblastoma (Cancer in both eyes). On September 25, 2021, his parents noticed his right eye had a cloudy haze to it. They took him to Motts Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, MI where the doctors initially suspected it was congenital glaucoma and scheduled him for an exam under anesthesia/surgery to correct the glaucoma. The exam ended up showing Rett had cancerous masses on both eyes and was referred to a retinal specialist. The specialist confirmed the diagnosis of bilateral retinoblastoma. The right eye had a large mass and the left eye has multiple small masses. Through this we found Rett has most likely never been able to see with his right eye but has good vision in the left. The next step was to find out if the cancer had spread to anywhere else in his body. After a Lumbar Puncture (spinal tap) and MRI of his brain, thankfully the cancer does not appear to have spread. On October 5, 2021, Rett had surgery to remove his right eye. He will start intra-arterial chemotherapy on his left eye mid-October and that will continue for up to 6 months. In a few weeks, Rett will have a procedure to place a prosthetic eye. He will need to undergo many similar procedures as he continues to grow. All we can do now is pray that the chemo is effective on his left eye to avoid a complete loss of his sight.

 

As you can imagine, treatment will be ongoing for Rett and his medical bills will be ongoing for years. Rett is my sweet little nephew, his dad (my brother) is a medically discharged Army Veteran and stay at home dad and his mom works in the medical field. They are surrounded by family and friends who have been extremely supportive and carrying them through this difficult journey. We ask for prayers for Rett’s timely recovery and healing and a successful outcome from the chemo treatments. If you have the means to help, please donate what you can to support this beautiful family. The funds collected here will primarily be used for paying insurance copays, deductibles and uncovered medical expenses. Rett will require ongoing medical treatments and prosthetics at least until he’s fully grown. In this time of hardship, we are asking you to please keep Rett and his parents in your thoughts and prayers.
10/9 Update: Rett's surgery to remove his right eye was successful. He's had some ups and downs this week but he's recovering nicely. He begins Chemo on Tuesday, October 12th to try and save the left eye. The family is overwhelmed by the generosity of so many. We ask that you continue to keep Rett in your thoughts and prayers! Please continue to share this post for awareness. The more prayers we can get the better!