Let’s help fight Neuroblastoma Cancer with Silas!

Hello, our names are Heather and Kimberly. Our grandson Silas who is 8 months old has been diagnosed with Neuroblastoma cancer. He has an inoperable tumor in his abdomen that has ruptured and is internally bleeding. Silas is on a chemo treatment and doctors have yet to put a time frame on the duration of this treatment. We are raising money for Silas’s mother Madisen (Kimberly) and father Connor (Heather) to cover expenses, necessities, and to provide critical parental support as they have both had to take a leave of absence from their jobs to be by Silas’s side throughout his medical journey.

Our grand baby, Silas Stanley was born August 17, 2023 at 26 weeks gestation, weighing just 2 lbs 2.2oz. Born with chronic lung disease and a hole in his heart, amongst other underlying health conditions. Silas spent the first 85 days of his life in the NICU. Since his release from the NICU, Silas has been dependent on oxygen and has to see over 8 different specialist.

Three weeks ago Silas started having issues with his stomach. On April 25, 2024 at a pediatrician's visit to address the issues, it was recommended that Silas be admitted to the emergency room. They took him to Lakeland Regional and a few hours later Silas was transported to Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando.

Here is where things got dyer real quick for Silas. Blood work showed an elevated white blood cell count indicative of the presence of cancer. Imaging showed an oval mass approximately ¾ the size of his torso in his abdomen weighing a third of his body weight. This mass was surrounded by fluid. It was decided on Friday April 26, 2024, that the medical team would monitor Silas and create a plan for this mass. On Saturday April 27, 2024 the fluid in his stomach had grown 3 cm. Having determined that this tumor was growing around the arteries to his Liver and Kidney the medical team made the decision to install a port in Silas’s side to drain the fluid. The procedure to install the port was a success. However, it revealed that Silas was bleeding internally. After receiving a steady transfusion of blood to keep up with the loss, the medical team went in to try to stop the bleeding and biopsy the tumor.

Doctors discovered that the tumor had ruptured and was the cause of the bleeding. The rupture was packed to slow the bleeding and the sample was taken. This procedure was a success but all of this is just the beginning.

Silas, now 8 days at Nemours Children's Hospital, lies in a room with multiple tubes and devices attached to him. Sedated to control the pain as his stomach is still open from the surgery to stop the bleeding. His tumor has been repacked and the medical team is hoping to sew him up in the next 10 days. We do not know the stage but we do know that it is a Neuroblastoma tumor and is inoperable. Presently, he's undergoing chemotherapy at Nemours Children's Hospital, in an attempt to shrink the tumor. This treatment is expected to persist for possibly up to 2 years. The specifics of his treatment duration and whether it'll be conducted as inpatient or outpatient are uncertain, but we are preparing for a potential long journey with chemotherapy.

We do not know what lies ahead for Silas’s journey. We do know that he is a fighter and will give cancer a fight to remember. Your generosity will directly contribute to Silas's well-being and support his family during this challenging time.

Together, let's make a difference in Silas life. Thank you for joining team Silas Strong.