**UPDATE: Hi everyone, just wanted to give an update on Joey. He had his surgery as expected on 10/1. Great news is the neurosurgeon stated he got the entire tumor and had clear margins. He was able to successfully place an absorbable plate and screws in the area where skull was eroded from the tumor. Joey was released from the hospital after 24 hours. 

Thankfully his swelling wasn’t as severe as the doctors had expected it to potentially be. Though he is still swollen due to the trauma of surgery, it looks to be 80% better! He will be 1 week post craniotomy on Thursday. Despite everything, Joey has continued to be his normal, happy and playful self. While yes he has a lot of restrictions to keep him safe, besides complaining about not being able to go to the park he has virtually not complained about anything else. 

Laurie and Joe will be taking Joey Thursday to his Nuero-oncologist follow up as well as his post-op visit with the neurosurgeon. 

The neurosurgeon did say once the surgery was completed and he visually inspected the tumor, it had looked 99% like LCH which he as well as hemo-oncology had said from get go. But, he couldn’t say 100% due to pathology not being completed yet. The full pathology report should come back within the next 2 to 4 weeks. Based on the information received thus far, the tumor tested negative for the BRAF gene mutation V600. This doesn't mean anything regarding the diagnosis but it does provide the hemo-oncologist more precise information on how we move forward.

Thursday, Laurie and Joe will find out from both the neurosurgeon and hemo-oncologist what the next steps are for Joey and what his care plan will be. 

Despite this being an incredibly difficult, scary and uncertain time...what we do know for certain is that Joey is in the best hands with the staff at Cohens and the Lucas family knows how incredibly loved they are as well as having the absolute best support system around. 

 

We truly can't thank everyone enough for your outpouring of love, kindness, prayers and generosity. There aren't enough words to express how grateful we feel knowing Joey, Joe, Laurie and Charlotte are hopefully one step closer to being able to start the next chapter with nothing but good health.**

No parent should have to hear that their 3-year-old has a tumor on his skull.

But that is the reality that Laurie and Joe Lucas are now facing with their little boy, Joey.

After many different tests, Joey was recently diagnosed with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH). LCH is considered a rare, cancer-like disease in which abnormal immune cells build up and can damage healthy tissue and bone. LCH affects roughly 1 to 5 people per million, or about 1 in 200,000 children. In Joey’s case, LCH caused a tumor to form which has unfortunately eroded a portion of his skull luckily leaving his brain untouched.

But now, Joey now needs to undergo major surgery to remove the tumor and repair the damaged area of his skull.

At just 3 years old, Joey should be focused on playing, laughing, and being a big brother. Instead, he and his family are preparing for his surgery, recovery, follow-up care, and the uncertainty that comes with a diagnosis like this.

Laurie and Joe are also caring for their 6-month-old baby girl Charlotte, while doing everything possible to be there for Joey every step of the way.

Unfortunately, neither Laurie nor Joe qualify for any type of leave with NYS due to recently being on maternity/paternity leave for their daughter. Being by Joey’s side during his surgery and recovery means missing work and losing income at a time when their family already has more than enough to worry about.

We are hoping to take some of that burden off their shoulders.

Every donation will help Laurie and Joe cover everyday costs and in addition to any medical bills while they take the time they need to care for Joey and their baby girl. We want to give the Lucas family the ability to focus on their children without having the burden and constant worry about how the bills will get paid.

If you know Laurie and Joe, you know how much their family means to them and how they’re the first to always help others. Right now, they need their family, friends, and community behind them.

Whether you are able to donate, share this page, say a prayer, or simply send some love their way, every bit of support means more than you know.

Please help us support Joey, Laurie, Joe, and Charlotte as Joey faces surgery and begins his road to recovery.

Let’s give this family one less thing to worry about while they focus on getting Joey healthy.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your love, generosity, prayers, and support. ❤️