Support Wilson in his Fight Against Childhood Cancer

My name is Darci & I am fundraising to cover medical expenses for my grandson & his family.

On Monday, April 15th 2024, the Barth family received unexpected & shocking news about their 6 year old son, Wilson, after he had been complaining of pains in his leg. During an appointment at their local hospital, it was discovered via xray that Wilson has a tumor in his upper left shin. Following this appointment, he was immediately sent to the Children's Hospital in Omaha, NE for an MRI. There, it was determined that Wilson would need hospitalized for several days while medical staff treated him & performed biopsies on the area, as there was debate about whether the mass in his leg was infection or cancer.

Unfortunately, the family received the news on Monday, April 22nd that his mass is a tumor, likely to be Ewing's Sarcoma. They are currently awaiting genetics testing on the biopsies to confirm this diagnosis before they can begin the necessary treatments of chemotherapy, radiation, & eventual surgery. In the upcoming week, Wilson is scheduled for multiple tests, procedures, & surgery to have his port placed. All of his appointments & procedures are currently occurring in Omaha, approximately an hour & a half from the family's home. In the future, the family may have to consider treatment &/or surgical options at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, approximately 5.5 hours from home.

Wilson is a well-loved, goofy, energetic, happy-go-lucky boy, who typically isn't slowed down for anything. He is often someone who can make friends with anyone & whose teachers have a challenge finding where to place him in a classroom because he will talk to & giggle with every classmate. He absolutely lives to make others laugh & makes it a mission to cheer up anyone he finds having a bad day or playing alone on a playground. He is devastated to be spending time away from home, his soccer season, his 2 younger siblings - Newton (4) & Kaylene (2), & especially his friends & classmates in the 1st grade.

Wilson's parents, Austin & Devin, are both shocked with the unexpected reality of this situation, but are doing their best to support their children & continue giving them as much normalcy as possible. They are dedicated parents who have always had a dream of one day having children. Austin & Devin are both Licensed Mental Health Therapists. They have chosen to spend their lives dedicated to helping others & now find themselves in a position where they are the ones needing help. This is not something they admit easily, as they both work very hard to be independent, to provide for their family, & to give back to their community. At this time, Devin has chosen to take leave from her position at a state college counseling center to focus on Wilson's care, while Austin's job working outpatient in a local hospital has been incredibly flexible & supportive with allowing him to attend all of Wilson's appointments & procedures. While it is fantastic that they have been able to be there for every second to help support one another & to ease Wilson's anxieties in the hospital, it has greatly impacted their income & will continue to do so into the future.

With all of the appointments, hospital stays, procedures, & upcoming chemo sessions, the family could use assistance to ease the burden of travel costs, stays away from home, meals, & medical bills. None of us are prepared yet for how much everything will likely cost, so our goal is a goal at this time & may be readjusted later. The family is very grateful & appreciative of the support they have received & continue to see from their family, friends, & community. We appreciate any form of support you can manage whether that is financial, through prayer, a small gift to Wilson, a meal for the family, spreading the word, or sending good thoughts to the family.

We will continue to update this page as we learn more about Wilson's diagnosis & treatment moving forward.