Cayden Michael was born on December 21, 2020 with what seemed to be a birthmark. He has been diagnosed with a Giant Congenital Melanocytic Nevus. He is 1 in 200,000 children with this diagnosis- 1 in 500,000 with this diagnosis on his hand. 

Giant congenital melanocytic nevus is a skin condition characterized by an abnormally dark, potentially cancerous skin patch that is composed of pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. The nevus may be small in infants, but it will usually grow at the same rate the body grows and will eventually be at least 40 cm (15.75 inches) across. The nevus can appear anywhere on the body, but it is more often found on the trunk or limbs making Cayden’s condition far more rare due to the amount of nerves in the hand. The surface of a nevus can be flat, rough, raised, thickened, or bumpy; the surface can vary in different regions of the nevus, and it can change over time.

Children with giant congenital melanocytic nevus develop a condition called neurocutaneous melanosis, which is the presence of pigment-producing skin cells (melanocytes) in the tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord. These melanocytes may be spread out or grouped together in clusters. Their growth can cause increased pressure in the brain, leading to headache, vomiting, irritability, seizures, and movement problems. Tumors in the brain may also develop.

Individuals with giant congenital melanocytic nevus have an increased risk of developing an aggressive form of skin cancer called melanoma, which arises from melanocytes. Melanoma commonly begins in the nevus, but it can develop when melanocytes that invade other tissues , such as those in the brain and spinal cord , become cancerous. When melanoma occurs in people with giant congenital melanocytic nevus, the survival rate is low.

Other types of tumors can also develop in individuals with giant congenital melanocytic nevus, including soft tissue tumors (sarcomas ), fatty tumors (lipomas), and tumors of the nerve cells (schwannomas).

After researching, Celine and Chris have been in contact with surgeons all over the country to find the best medical treatment for their child. There are two surgeons nation wide who are cut out to complete his surgeries- which are very invasive. Cayden will begin with a skin expansion in August to supply donor skin for the upcoming surgeries. These surgeries will prevent Cayden from facing any of these scary outcomes of the nevus. 

Cayden will need anywhere from 8-20 surgeries to complete the removal of all the nevus cells below the skin including multiple skin expansions, skin grafts and skin transplants. 

After  meeting with a financial counselor at the University of Chicago Medical Center, world renowned surgeon Dr.Bauer will be completing his surgeries, but even with help from the hospital and insurance, each surgery comes to approximately 5,000 dollars per surgery.

Any small support is appreciated to help them along their journey.