Help Wyatt's Family Through His Cancer Journey

Hi, everyone, I’m Kristy and I’ve created this fundraiser on behalf of my sister, Kally, her partner, Kyle, and their 7-year-old son, Wyatt, who was recently diagnosed with small B-Cell lymphoma.

For those of you who don’t know Wyatt, he’s sweet, silly, adventurous, creative, and super loving. He’s the youngest of three boys and enjoys playing outside, gaming, football and wrestling, camping and exploring the outdoors with his family. On March 30th, Wyatt became hysterical with pain behind his eyes. Scans at a local hospital revealed a 2.7 cm mass in his right occipital lobe. He was transferred to Geisinger Children’s Hospital in Danville, PA where he underwent a full resection on April 1st. After more than a week of waiting for lab results, it was determined that the mass was small B-Cell lymphoma.

While small B-cell lymphoma is typically regarded as slow-growing and treatable, Wyatt’s oncologists have never seen it manifest as a brain tumor, and Wyatt is undergoing several tests to see if it has spread to anywhere else in his body. Upcoming tests include lymph node and bone marrow biopsies. Kally and Kyle are also requesting a second opinion from CHOP, and in addition to working with Wyatt’s oncologists, they’re hoping to pursue a few complementary/integrative therapies to support Wyatt’s immune system as they take the next steps in his treatment – these therapies, unfortunately, would not be covered by insurance.

For those who don’t know our family and situation, my son, Jackson - Wyatt’s little cousin - passed away on January 25, 2024 after battling brain cancer for nearly two years. Wyatt is aware of his own diagnosis, and while his parents have repeatedly reassured him that it’s nothing like his cousin’s brain cancer, the loss is still so raw and Wyatt is understandably very scared.

In the midst of home renovations, expensive and drawn-out car troubles requiring months of a rental vehicle paid out-of-pocket, and coping with the growing burden of unexpected expenses, Kally and Kyle are now facing the uncertainty of whether or not they’ll be able to cover their son’s medical expenses and make ends meet financially. While Kyle has been working tirelessly to cover their family’s expenses, they’re used to living on two incomes, but Kally has had to cut back her hours significantly to care for Wyatt and drive him to weekly appointments with his oncologist and specialists.

As a mother who has been through my own child’s cancer diagnosis and treatment, I can personally attest to the importance of being able to focus on your child and their needs during such a difficult and emotional time. I truly feel like no parent should have to carry the burden of providing for their family financially with a sick child – it’s a time when you need each other’s love and support, and my hope with this fundraiser is to be able to raise enough money to help cover Wyatt’s family’s living expenses while they focus on his care and treatment, and whatever the next steps moving forward may be.

The proceeds of this fundraiser will go toward any unpaid medical expenses incurred throughout Wyatt’s treatment, complementary/integrative therapies to support Wyatt’s immune system (which insurance will not cover), and his family’s living expenses as they navigate this difficult and overwhelming situation.

It kills me to see my sister and her beautiful family living this familiar nightmare with their son. Like so many others who love and care for them, I feel helpless and wish there was more I could do to lift this burden from their shoulders (and hearts). I’m asking, from the bottom of my heart, that anyone who is willing and able to provide monetary support during this difficult time, please do so. Your generosity means so much to our family and we can’t thank you enough. If you’re unable to donate, simply sharing this fundraiser with everyone you know would be a huge help and greatly appreciated. Please keep my nephew, Wyatt, and his parents and brothers in your prayers. May further testing show no spread of his disease, and may he live a long, joyous life! Thank you all for taking the time to read this.