Love and Support for Gordie and Family

Tests have confirmed that little Gordie has high risk metastatic neuroblastoma which originates from the adrenal gland on top of the kidney. Many organs and functions are impacted due to the tumor's size. It has metastasized near the lungs in his chest cavity but fortunately they have not found it anywhere else yet. He will likely lose his left kidney when surgery is attempted.

He is in for a very long road with the treatment plan. 18 months of chemo, stem cell harvest and transplant, surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible, radiation, and immunotherapy. There will be years of follow up as high risk cases are more likely to recur. It is very aggressive.

Gordie already had 3 surgeries, including installing his port for chemo, biopsy of the tumor, MRI, removal of fluid from his lung, installing his feeding tube in his nose, bone marrow biopsy, and a special PET scan. We started chemo on February 9, 2024, one week after we entered the hospital. We will all be staying in the hospital for at least a month while he goes through this first round of chemo, continues to receive fluids and blood transfusions, and stabilizes. In the future, we may be able to return home for 1-2 weeks between chemo cycles. There will be 5 cycles total before they attempt surgery, which may occur around May-June if all goes as planned.

Another bit of news is that we are expecting a baby in early July. We would really love to have chemo and surgery out of the way before the baby arrives. For that to happen, Gordie needs to receive most of his chemo treatments on time. Any minor illness can set back treatment. A fever of 100.4 is considered an emergency for us and we will need to head to the ER.

We are so grateful to have such amazing families and friends both in Canada and the United States for our little dual citizen. We know everyone will keep Gordie in their thoughts and prayers. He is so lovable, funny, and sweet; it is impossible to imagine him going through all of this. He is already stealing hearts in the hospital and making a name for himself.

Please continue to keep Gordie in your thoughts and prayers. Many have also asked how they can support us right now. Given our lengthy hospital stay and future repeat trips to Fargo, support for meals and gas would be most helpful to reduce some of the financial burden.

Thank you so much for the outpouring of love and support. We couldn't do this without you.

Love Mark, Jensen, & Gordie