Superhero Ike!

As many of you know, my beautiful cousin, Lauren Karn, and her husband, Eli received the most challenging news on May 14, 2021, on Eli’s birthday. They were told their son, Ike, had a malignant neoplasm of the left frontal lobe of his brain. With only MRI imaging, doctors have tried to narrow the diagnosis down to a low-grade glioma. Any medical term leading to discussions with pediatric oncologists and neurosurgeons lands in the heart and punches in the gut; one’s world stops turning. Many parents work hard to keep their children safe, fed, loved, and cared for every second of every day. Cancer has no prejudices and is the enemy for so many of us. Lauren and Eli are now faced with entering the next phase of their journey, the surgery. On July 20, 2023, Ike will be having brain surgery. Surgery aims to remove the tumor from his brain and send it for testing to gain a definitive diagnosis.

I asked Lauren if I could create a GoFundMe page for her family, and she said no. I asked her to sit with it and pray about it. We all know it is easier to be the giver than the receiver of others’ generosity. To accept help is to accept our vulnerability. Lauren contacted me a few weeks later, saying she was open to the idea. If you feel compelled to give using this platform, please do so. All the money will be given to the Karn Family to help with Ike’s recovery and allow them to be home with him.

If you are not in a place to donate money, please pray and send many positive thoughts wrapping this family in love, care, and endurance. Pray that Ike’s medical team receives clarity and can care for Ike and his family beyond what they can imagine. Remember always to extend a warm smile, small gestures, or being there for someone in need is another way to honor the Karn Family.

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Thank you for loving my beautiful cousin and her family!

Please note GFM charges a 3% charge to run the platform.