#LincolnStrong aka Lincoln Frix

In our family, Lincoln has become synonymous with “Fighter.” He first began to flex his little muscles during the pregnancy at 23 weeks when he made a valiant effort to meet the world far sooner than we had planned. Amanda and Ben knew at that moment… this little guy would be strong-willed and determined. Lincoln was born at 32 weeks and started to bring endless joy to his parents and anyone he met. At 19 months, Lincoln was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, which began the long journey of schedule juggling to accommodate multiple specialty doctors, therapists and much more. Lincoln has always handled every obstacle with strength and determination, while Ben and Amanda have always dealt with every new twist and turn with grace and dignity.

On November 10, Lincoln had an appointment with a gastroenterologist for an evaluation due to constipation and digestion issues. He was immediately sent to the West Virginia University Children’s Hospital emergency department for a CT scan of his abdomen. On November 11, Lincoln was diagnosed with Stage 4 Kidney Cancer…, and this is when Ben and Amanda’s world was flipped upside down… they also discovered via more scans and tests that cancer had spread to his lungs. On November 12, Lincoln underwent the first of many procedures to come. The medical team removed 2 of the 26 spots on his lungs and placed the port that will be used for chemotherapy. With the addition of the port, he has taken a liking to his new nickname of “Iron Man”. During the surgery, the medical team realized that the tumor surrounding the kidney was far too large and inoperable.

Lincoln started his 6-week journey with chemotherapy on Monday, November 14 and receives treatment once a week. The teams hope that at the end of this round of chemo, the tumor wrapped around the kidney will be small enough to remove, along with the affected kidney. This is just phase one of Lincoln's cancer treatment; additional surgeries, chemotherapy and possibly radiation are also in his future.

To say the road ahead of Lincoln is long and hard is a drastic understatement, but if anyone is up for the challenge, it is absolutely our Iron Man. The money we raise will be used for medical, transportation, and monthly living expenses while Ben and Amanda care for Lincoln during this highly stressful time. #LincolnStrong