Support Josie's Battle Against Ewing Sarcoma

HELP JOSIE FIGHT EWING SARCOMA

Hi everyone,

My name is Tessa, and I am one of Josie's aunts and posting this with permission from Josie and my sister, her mom, Jessica. We as a family are reaching out with a heavy heart and a hopeful spirit to share the story of our wonderful Josie. Josie has recently been diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare and aggressive type of bone and soft tissue cancer. There are only 200-250 cases diagnosed in the United States each year. This news has turned our families entire world upside down; all we can do is pray, hope, and help support Josie in any way we can.

About Josie:

Josie just turned 15 and was supposed to be starting her freshman year of high school here in a few weeks. She is a bright, lively, and incredibly brave young girl with a great sense of humor. Josie can be quiet and shy sometimes, but her spirit is large. She loves writing, drawing, camping, boating, tubing, knee boarding, fishing, Starbucks, and shopping. She especially loves spending time with her friends and family. Her biggest fan is her 3 year old niece, Ashlynn, who just loves and adores her. Josie also loves Jesus and just dedicated herself and was baptized earlier this year. Her smile lights up any room, and her spirit is truly inspiring. Due to treatments, she will need to do online schooling and her social events will be very limited because she will be at a major risk for infections and illness. Despite this devastating diagnosis, Josie remains strong and positive, ready to take on the fight of her life.

The Backstory:

About six months ago, early 2024, Josie noticed a lump on the back of her left leg. It at first was bothersome and hurt, would get inflamed and then go away. Initially at a medical visit, my sister was told its not this, not this, not that; no one seemed to think it was a big deal and said "let's wait and see". But as time passed, the lump continued to bother Josie. She also would have days of being sick and not feeling well but there wasn't a known reason for it. Jessica took her back to a doctor, who then finally referred her to a surgeon for an appointment. Josie had the appointment and an ultrasound on the lump in June. Again, the plan was "to wait and see" what it did because they had no explanation for what it was. My sister insisted though that it be removed because this had gone on too long. On June 28th, 2024, the surgeon removed the lump and sent it for a biopsy.

The hope was that the mass/lump, whatever it was, would be gone and she would be all better. Sadly, though even after the surgery she still had pain in her leg and days that she was sick and tired.

On Friday, July 26th, 2024, my sister received the devastating news that no one expected: Josie was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma. This was confirmed by Cleveland Clinic through extensive testing on the tumor that was removed in June. On Friday, August 2nd, 2024, we spent a marathon of a day at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, where Josie underwent numerous tests, including a Chest CT, PET Scan, Echo/EKG, MRI of the Femur, and blood work. She also met with her oncologist. Thankfully from the initial tests this ugly monster does not look like it has spread outside of the left femur area yet. We have been told though just because it is undetectable right now does not mean there isn't something there due to the type of the cancer it is. This means that a swift and aggressive treatment plan must be enacted ASAP to ensure it stays that way. This type of cancer is known to spread fast and without remorse, initially almost always spreading to the lungs first.

There have been many decisions that have needed to be made quickly, and Josie's treatment plan is still a work in progress. This past Friday, August 9th, she underwent three very important surgeries. First, a resection surgery to remove any remaining tumor, cancer tissue and healthy tissue that may still be cancerous but undetectable on scans. Nationwide Children's is on the leading edge of treating this type of cancer, specializing in limb preservation and they were able to so far do just that for her. Second, she had a single lumen central venous port placed during this surgery for chemo access, blood draws, infusions, or any other treatments she may need to receive. Additionally, Josie had an ovary retrieval surgery, as the dosage of chemotherapy she will receive has an overwhelming likelihood of affecting her fertility. This will provide her the possibility of having children in the future, when she is old enough (God willing) to make decisions about motherhood. She is now home and recovering from these surgeries and preparing for the next steps.

The Road Ahead:

We are still awaiting on the final pathology report from the surgery last week. This will be used to inform her team of doctors in making a decision about whether or not she will currently need radiation.

The initial treatment plan is that Josie will undergo 14 rounds of a VERY AGGRESSIVE chemotherapy (VDC/IE combination) one of which is what they call “The Red Devil”. While undergoing chemo she will also get red blood cell and platelet infusions as needed to help keep her counts up. She will begin this treatment plan this coming Monday, August 19th.

All of her treatments will have to be in Columbus at Nationwide Children's; the current plan is 5 days of treatments M-F, then a recovery week, then on again for 5 days M-F and on and on. At any sign of illness or fever, she will immediately have to go to the hospital for emergency transport directly to Nationwide.

All of this has been understandably very overwhelming for Jessica and Josie - and honestly for all of us that love them. There is a lot of information that is still unknown; some of it changes by the minute do to the rare and aggressive form of cancer she has. In saying that, myself or our other sister, Sherrie, will post updates and try to answer any questions that anyone may have. Please DM one of us, myself or Sherrie, or leave a comment and we will personally reach out to you.

Why We Need Your Help:

The financial burden of Josie's treatment will be enormous. Jessica is facing medical bills, travel expenses for frequent hospital visits, and the everyday costs of living while supporting Josie through this challenging time. We are turning to our community, friends, and kind-hearted strangers to help alleviate some of this financial stress so we can focus on supporting Josie.

How Your Donation Will Help:

Medical Bills: Covering the costs of surgeries, chemotherapy, and ongoing treatments. This will also cover the costs associated with fertility preservation that isn't covered by insurance.

Travel Expenses: Ensuring Josie can get to and from the hospital for her treatments.

Daily Living Costs: Helping her mom manage her daily expenses while caring for Josie. It is likely that Jessica will not be able to work with such an intensive treatment plan and being Josie's caregiver. Also, to help provide for them financially to be able to purchase any medical supplies or personal items needed for Josie.

Donating any amount, big or small, will make a significant difference. Every dollar brings us closer to our goal and helps ease the financial burden. If you can not donate then we ask that you please share this campaign with your friends, family, and social networks. The more people who know about Josie’s fight, the more support we can gather. Also, the more people that know will bring more awareness to this type of cancer and hopefully help to push more research and a better treatment plan for it. Lastly, send love, thoughts, words of encouragement and most importantly, prayers; it will mean the world to Josie and her family. Knowing we have a community behind us gives us strength and hope. Josie is ready to fight with all her might, and with your support, we can help her every step of the way. Thank you for your kindness, generosity, and love.

Psalms 46:5

God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Josie's Family