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Rise Up for Rilynn
Fearless. Funny. A little bit sassy. That’s how many describe 12-year-old Rilynn Marti.
Ewing sarcoma—an extremely rare cancer of the bones and surrounding soft tissue Rilynn was recently diagnosed with—does not define this strong young girl.
The past few months have been a rollercoaster for Rilynn and her twin sister, Adilynn; mom, Kara; and dad, Tom. Just before the holidays, Rilynn felt some unusual pain in her legs. Rilynn’s pediatrician sent her for an MRI. Not good news—and certainly not the guitar she was hoping to receive for Christmas. The MRI revealed a tumor that required immediate removal. She underwent emergency surgery on December 20, and her recovery went well. Rilynn left the hospital in time to spend Christmas Eve with her family, her dogs (Gracie and Aqueela), and a brand-new guitar.
Unfortunately, the calm didn’t last. On January 8, Rilynn passed out and was rushed to the emergency room. Her condition steadied, but she passed out again. She was taken into the trauma area, where she went into cardiac arrest. The doctors stabilized her and took her into surgery to be put on life support. The ECMO machine (extracorporeal membrane oxygenator) took on the work of Rilynn’s heart and lungs, and during surgery doctors discovered several blood clots in her lungs. She had additional surgeries to remove the blood clots and was on life support for 4 days.
Rilynn was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma. She faces an aggressive treatment regimen of chemotherapy for the next 9 months, after which she will be reevaluated and will likely need radiation and possibly surgery to remove any remaining parts of the tumor.
This will be a long, tough journey for Rilynn and her family. But we know Rilynn and her amazing family will continue to fight this battle with the positivity, strength, and love (and a top-notch medical team at Texas Children’s Hospital) they’ve shown so far. Rilynn will rise—she will beat this disease.
The Marti family’s world has been turned upside down like that rollercoaster ride in only a few weeks. Kara, an ovarian cancer survivor, has become Rilynn’s full-time caregiver. Her job doesn’t allow Kara to work from home, and unfortunately she is unable to maintain her job while caring for her Rilynn. The loss of a full-time income source only adds to the strain.
More than anything we want to be there to help this incredible family, play some cards together, and listen to Rilynn’s mad guitar skills. Kara and Tom’s friends and colleagues have shared loving words, heartfelt prayers, comforting care packages, and some painfully “punny” dad jokes.
The Marti family needs the support of a virtual village to help them get through this. While we can’t relieve the risks or cure the disease any faster—or be there in-person to lend a hand at home or provide a much-needed hug—we can support the Marti family by contributing financially to ease at least one of their burdens.
Fearless. Funny. A little bit sassy. That’s how many describe 12-year-old Rilynn Marti.
Ewing sarcoma—an extremely rare cancer of the bones and surrounding soft tissue Rilynn was recently diagnosed with—does not define this strong young girl.
The past few months have been a rollercoaster for Rilynn and her twin sister, Adilynn; mom, Kara; and dad, Tom. Just before the holidays, Rilynn felt some unusual pain in her legs. Rilynn’s pediatrician sent her for an MRI. Not good news—and certainly not the guitar she was hoping to receive for Christmas. The MRI revealed a tumor that required immediate removal. She underwent emergency surgery on December 20, and her recovery went well. Rilynn left the hospital in time to spend Christmas Eve with her family, her dogs (Gracie and Aqueela), and a brand-new guitar.
Unfortunately, the calm didn’t last. On January 8, Rilynn passed out and was rushed to the emergency room. Her condition steadied, but she passed out again. She was taken into the trauma area, where she went into cardiac arrest. The doctors stabilized her and took her into surgery to be put on life support. The ECMO machine (extracorporeal membrane oxygenator) took on the work of Rilynn’s heart and lungs, and during surgery doctors discovered several blood clots in her lungs. She had additional surgeries to remove the blood clots and was on life support for 4 days.
Rilynn was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma. She faces an aggressive treatment regimen of chemotherapy for the next 9 months, after which she will be reevaluated and will likely need radiation and possibly surgery to remove any remaining parts of the tumor.
This will be a long, tough journey for Rilynn and her family. But we know Rilynn and her amazing family will continue to fight this battle with the positivity, strength, and love (and a top-notch medical team at Texas Children’s Hospital) they’ve shown so far. Rilynn will rise—she will beat this disease.
The Marti family’s world has been turned upside down like that rollercoaster ride in only a few weeks. Kara, an ovarian cancer survivor, has become Rilynn’s full-time caregiver. Her job doesn’t allow Kara to work from home, and unfortunately she is unable to maintain her job while caring for her Rilynn. The loss of a full-time income source only adds to the strain.
More than anything we want to be there to help this incredible family, play some cards together, and listen to Rilynn’s mad guitar skills. Kara and Tom’s friends and colleagues have shared loving words, heartfelt prayers, comforting care packages, and some painfully “punny” dad jokes.
The Marti family needs the support of a virtual village to help them get through this. While we can’t relieve the risks or cure the disease any faster—or be there in-person to lend a hand at home or provide a much-needed hug—we can support the Marti family by contributing financially to ease at least one of their burdens.