Seattle, The Next Chapter...

We are creating this Go Fund Me page because Cole has to go out of state again for treatment. I am using a bio that Cole has put together to explain everything.

Cole Carter Barden

On March 7, 2009 I was diagnosed with an Ependymoma (brain tumor) at Children's Hospital in Minneapolis, MN. I had brain surgery on March 11, 2009. They could not get all of the tumor so I had 2 rounds of chemotherapy and a second brain surgery on May 19, 2009. Dr McCue resected the whole tumor and I didn’t have to have any more chemotherapy. Proton radiation was completed at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. In 2009, there were only 5 hospitals in the United States that had proton beam. We were blessed by the opportunity of staying at Christopher’s Haven, an apartment which is right across the street from MGH. One of the benefits of going to MGH for my radiation was being able to go to Red Sox games and meeting the whole team. I became a die-hard Red Sox fan at a very young age.

I was just shy of being cancer free for 10 years when I was diagnosed with my second ependymoma. I had my third brain surgery in January 2019. A week after I was sent home from surgery, I had a series of seizures at home and had to be transported back to Mayo Rochester. I spent some time in ICU surrounded by family and friends. I did physical and occupational therapy for a few months afterword to get my strength back. which was followed by 35 more rounds of proton radiation. All of my treatment was done at Rochester Mayo. I had clear scans for about three months, and then a “spot” showed up in my scans in early 2020, the doctors weren’t sure if it was cancer or necrosis (dead brain tissue).

I began experiencing side effects from Proton radiation and the possible tumor (spot) in the last couple scans. The doctors decided the best option was to have surgery to figure what was causing these problems, and to remove the spot on my MRI to figure what it is. I had my fourth brain surgery on July 19, 2022 and it was confirmed the spot was another tumor.

I am starting a clinical trial in Seattle WA on March 6, 2023. I will fly out to Seattle for the preliminary appointments March 6-8, 2023 and return home on March 9, 2023. I will return to Seattle mid April for 8 weeks of infusion therapy. During that time I will also need to pay my house payments and bills that go along with owning a house. We figured out the cost of housing/hotel stay and I will need about $15,000 to cover staying in Seattle along with incidentals for transportation etc. I received a grant that will reimburse about $5,000 and working with social worker at Seattle Children's at another source that may provide about $3,000 reimbursement. We are hoping to get donations for $5,000 from Go Fund Me or through Venmo.

I am really humbled to have to ask for help, it is really difficult to not be able to take care of everything on my own. Thank you for helping me so I can have quality of life. If unable to help monetarily, please pray for complete healing and share my Go Fund Me page.

I’ve been busy focusing on myself and all the good things I can. “Peace, love and positivity” is my mantra right now. I have a supportive family, supportive friends (whom I consider family) and some people I have never met who have been praying for a miracle for me. Feeling so blessed and loved.