Just weeks ago, he was a happy, healthy boy—going to school, laughing with his brother and sister, and living a normal life.
Today, he is in a fight for his life against one of the rarest cancers in the world.
Avery has been diagnosed with Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma, an extremely rare and aggressive form of liver cancer.
Doctors found a 9 cm tumor in his liver… and a second tumor as well. Right now, these tumors are dangerously wrapped around major blood vessels, including the inferior vena cava (IVC). Because of this, they cannot be safely removed at this time.
And with this cancer, surgery is the only cure.
There are no other options.
Avery has already been going through intense chemotherapy, fighting every single day with a level of strength that no child should ever have to show. Even now, he continues to smile, to be kind, and to think about everyone else around him. But we are running out of time. Avery needs to be flown to the mainland immediately to be evaluated by specialized pediatric liver surgeons who can attempt a full tumor resection, and possibly a liver transplant—his only real chance at survival. We are urgently trying to get him to one of the top hospitals in the country, including:
• Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
• Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford
• UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
This level of care is not available here in Hawai‘i. Avery’s mom is doing everything she can—but she is doing this as a single mother of three. Even if some of Avery’s medical care is covered, the reality is that getting him to the mainland means supporting all three children—Avery, Rylee, and Kinsley—while trying to hold everything together. Flights, housing, food, and simply keeping the family together during this time is overwhelming. And time is something we do not have the luxury of.
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A few days after Avery was diagnosed, the only thing he asked for… was a puppy. He was scared, overwhelmed, and trying to process everything—and he just needed something to hold onto. We went to the humane society “just to look”… and he fell in love instantly. That’s how Millie came into our lives.
She has already become so much more than a puppy—she is Avery’s comfort, his calm, his emotional support through all of this.
But now everything has changed.
Because we need to leave the island for Avery’s care, we can’t take Millie with us right now.
To make sure Avery still has her support when we return—and to truly help him through this journey—we need to enroll her in a specialized training program to become a service/emotional support dog.
The program is a minimum of 30 days and is very expensive. She isn’t just a dog— she’s part of how he’s getting through this.
We are asking, as urgently as we can, for your help.
Every donation, every share, and every prayer brings Avery one step closer to the care that could save his life.
Avery is fighting with everything he has. And we are fighting just as hard to save him.
If you’ve read this far, please don’t walk away
—whatever you can give matters, and if you can’t give, sharing this could be what saves my son’s life.
Thank you for standing with Avery and our family during this critical time.
With so much love and gratitude,
Avery’s Mommy and Grandma
How the funds will be used:
We want to be as transparent as possible about where support is going. Avery’s situation is urgent and requires specialized care that is not available here in Hawai‘i. Funds raised will go toward:
• Emergency medical flights to the mainland as soon as possible
• Housing near the hospital for weeks or possibly months, while still maintaining our home in Hawai‘i (rent, electricity, utilities, etc.)
• Food, transportation, and daily living expenses while away from home
• Specialized surgical care and possible transplant-related costs
• Supporting Avery’s siblings so the family can stay together during this time
• Millie’s specialized training program so she can continue supporting Avery as his emotional support/service dog
Every dollar goes directly toward helping Avery get the urgent care he needs and keeping his family together while he fights for his life.
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Additional Ways to Support: We’ve had a few people ask if there are other ways to help outside of GoFundMe. To avoid platform fees, donations can also be sent directly via: Venmo: @Kristen-333
PayPal: @KristenSurgenor
Please only use these if you’re comfortable—GoFundMe is still our main platform.
