Our story starts when our 9-year-old daughter, Izabel, started having stomach issues and a visit to the pediatrician around the end of October 2025. A follow-up on November 4th became an ER visit to check for possible appendicitis. The CT scan at our local hospital showed a large mass in Izabel's abdomen, coming from her right ovary area.

We were rushed to Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, where a team of surgeons began reviewing the scans. The head surgeon confirmed, with blood work, that the mass was most likely a tumor. He ordered another CT scan to check and see if the tumor had spread, and an MRI to see all the details inside her abdomen.

On November 6th, Izabel underwent surgery. Doctors removed the ovary, which had formed into a tumor, her omentum, and two lymph nodes. She had an incision from her sternum to her pelvis. After recovering, she was discharged on November 11th, with surgical and oncology follow-ups a week later.

On November 18th, we learned that the tumor was a malignant mixed Germ Cell Tumor and Izabel was diagnosed with cancer. The tumor (nicknamed Jabba the Hutt) weighed over 3.5 pounds and was 8 inches long and 5.5 inches wide. 70% of it was an immature teratoma and 30% was a yolk sac tumor. The tumor had ruptured, spilling cancer cells into her abdomen. Due to the rupture, her diagnosis became a stage three. Her omentum and lymph nodes tested negative for cancer cells, keeping her from being stage four.

Izabel now has to undergo at least four rounds of chemotherapy at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit. Starting on 12/5/2025, she will be admitted to get her port placed, then begin her first round. She will be hospitalized while receiving infusions for roughly 5-7 days each time. Her chemo treatments will be spaced out by 21 days, as long as her blood cell counts remain good. If they drop too far, she will be given medicine/transfusions to bring them back up, and a few extra days to bounce back. She will have to go to the Oncology Clinic in Detroit each Tuesday to monitor these counts. She will also have to go to the ER for any signs of illness or infection, including a fever over 100.4.

After these four rounds of chemotherapy, we will see if she goes into remission. She will be monitored and routinely tested for cancer for the rest of her life, since the type of cancer Izabel was diagnosed with has a higher chance of reoccurring.

Most people know that we are no strangers to hospitals. Izabel's dad, Dan, served with 3rd Ranger Battalion in the 75th Ranger Regiment. He was wounded in combat during his deployment to Afghanistan back in April of 2010. Struck six times across his abdomen by enemy fire, he had a long and grueling recovery. He was able to heal and redeploy, before being forced to retire due to recurring issues from his injuries. We are, unfortunately, used to fighting difficult medical battles.

The purpose of starting this GoFundMe is to help cover expenses associated with Izabel's treatments and care. Even with Tricare as our insurance provider, frequent hospitalizations and clinic visits will add a financial burden to our family. We will be paying for supplemental insurance through the state of Michigan to try and offset these bills, but that will be an out-of-pocket cost as well.

We live over an hour away from Children's Hospital and still have Izabel's four-year-old sister, Viktoria, to care for. We are hoping to be able to stay at the Ronald McDonald house, but that is not a guarantee each time, since rooms are limited. Gas, food, and potential hotel stays are all expenses we will face for every treatment, along with weekly Oncology clinics and the ER visits that are guaranteed to happen. This doesn't even take into account missed work, PTO running out, and potentially having to go on unpaid FMLA leave.

We have been told time and time again that we need to take any help that we can get. If you know Dan and myself, you know that we don't like asking for help. Unfortunately, we have been pushed into a situation that we never wanted to imagine. One that no parent or child should have to go through.

If you can give, we appreciate it more than you know. If you can't, please share and keep her in your thoughts. Take this story as a cautionary tale to never brush off a symptom if you feel like something isn't right. Bother the doctor, get the extra test, don't stop when something feels off.