Let's cure Reid!

Our friend Jodi and her family are excited to report that their remarkable 8-year-old son Reid will soon be undergoing a “curative” course of action for his aggressive neuroblastoma at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. You can imagine how powerful it was for this family to hear doctors use this word after what they’ve endured in the past four years since his initial diagnosis.

For anyone who does not have the pleasure of knowing Reid, he is charismatic, bright, funny, optimistic, and inquisitive. He’s the kind of kid who, even while feeling sick on the way home from chemo, will look up and say, “Mom, the mountains look pretty today.” His optimism affects everyone he meets. And this is despite having undergone months and months of aggressive treatment, followed by a period of remission. Unfortunately, in August 2021, his scans revealed a severe relapse with metastases throughout his body (including bone marrow), and his original tumor had doubled in size.

As his current treatment cycle at Denver Children’s is coming to an end, Jodi and Shawn have sought out second opinions on next steps. While some of the Children's Oncology Group (COG) hospitals recommended another course of traditional radiation, Sloan Kettering is recommending tumor removal and more targeted radiation therapy via surgery. As this center is the most experienced pediatric neuroblastoma program in the country, this is the route the family would like to take. Additionally, Reid may be enrolled in a vaccine trial following surgery that could last several months. This means travel to and from New York, time away from work, and long stays away from home.

As Reid has now spent a significant portion of his childhood in a hospital, his parents have expended every available resource. Let’s be a new resource and ensure Reid can receive this curative treatment. Funds raised will cover travel/lodging/meals as well as living expenses as this family continues to navigate ongoing cancer care.

Thank you for offering support to this wonderful family!