Team Alaura: Supporting Ruth as She Cares for Her Daughter

Alaura is a bright, funny, and kind 7-year-old who was suddenly diagnosed with a brain tumor in September after rapidly losing her vision. She has already endured three brain surgeries, including the placement of a VP shunt, and is now facing permanent vision loss along with a long recovery ahead. Her tumor, an astrocytoma, is cancerous but slow growing, and we are still waiting on additional pathology to determine targeted treatments.

Alaura is also level 2 autistic, which makes this journey even more complicated. She has difficulty expressing when she is in pain or uncomfortable, so her mom, Ruth, must closely monitor her for small cues and micro-expressions to know what she needs. This adds an extra layer of challenge to her recovery and daily care.

Ruth has been by her side every step, learning to care for Alaura at home while balancing lost income, medical expenses, and constant travel for follow-up care. All funds raised here will go directly to Ruth to cover the expenses of caring for Alaura — including the financial strain of unpaid time away from work, travel to appointments, adaptive items to help with vision loss, and the daily living costs that continue even as Ruth provides full-time care.

This campaign is not a general family fund. It is specifically to support Ruth in her role as Alaura’s primary caregiver and to ensure Alaura has everything she needs for recovery and comfort.

Updates from Ruth

September 3rd

“My sunshine girl, Alaura, was having rapid changes in her vision. It brought us to the ER on Sunday morning, where we discovered she has a 3 cm tumor on her brain. It was stopping the fluid from circulating and caused intracranial pressure that affected her vision.

I was completely blindsided by this. Of all my fears for her, this one never crossed my mind. I don’t think I’ve ever been more scared. Surgery is scheduled for Friday, and until then we wait.

My girl is funny, smart, and kind to everyone. She is sunshine and silliness. She is so loved, and we need her here in this world to help make it a better place.”

September 11th

“We’re still in the PICU. During her brain surgery, they removed most of the tumor, reattached ventricles, and opened a new pathway for the CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) to drain. The hope was that this would avoid the need for a permanent shunt, but it’s looking more and more likely that one will be necessary.

The happy side is that she is mostly cheerful. She’s chatty, doing some therapy, and even met with a hospital teacher. She’s still very much herself.

Thank you to everyone for all the love you’ve shared.”

September 19th

“Alaura had her third surgery on Wednesday. They placed a VP shunt to help drain the CSF. She now has five tough-girl battle scars: three on her head and two on her stomach.

Through it all she has remained such a happy, sweet girl. Every nurse or doctor gets the same mantra: ‘no pinches, no pokes, no drops.’

The first pathology confirmed the tumor is an astrocytoma. It is cancerous but slow growing, so chemotherapy is not recommended right now. We are still waiting on a second pathology report to determine if targeted treatments are possible. She will need a follow up MRI in three months to check for growth and monitor the shunt.

We may be released from the hospital soon, but this is just the beginning of a long road. She will need home PT after being in bed for 20 days, and her vision remains a challenge. I’ve been learning from the nursing staff so I can provide the best care possible once we’re home.”

September 26th

“She was released from the hospital Sunday afternoon. We’re staying in Tucson for the week to be close to her follow ups.

We now know that some of her vision will not return, but we are hopeful for at least some improvement in one eye. She’s very wobbly and unsure on her feet, so PT is essential. It may be weakness from bed rest, or neurological, but either way, PT is where we start.”

October 1st

“The pediatric ophthalmologist completed her testing. At first there was some hope for improvement, but according to all the tests, it isn’t likely.

The tumor and fluid pressure damaged her optic nerves beyond repair. Her eyes themselves are perfect, she would never have even needed glasses, but the nerves can no longer transmit the information to her brain.

She has very limited vision in her right eye, a little more in her left, and almost no peripheral vision. At best she can see about 10 feet ahead. We will keep searching for out of the box options, but for now, this is the new reality.

We have follow up with her neuro oncologist later this month to learn more about the second pathology and possible targeted treatments.”

From Her Friends

Ruth has shared these updates with all of us, and as friends we want to support her and Alaura during this fight.

Ruth will continue caring for Alaura at home until she is strong enough to go back to school. While her employers have been nothing but supportive, she has already exhausted all of her PTO and sick days. Even when Alaura eventually returns to school, Ruth will still need to take unpaid days off for the many follow up appointments in Tucson.

Medical expenses, travel, and daily bills do not pause during cancer treatment. We are asking, humbly, for help.

No donation is too small. Ruth knows how hard it is just to get by in today’s world, and every single gift, no matter the amount, is deeply appreciated.

If you are able to donate, every bit makes a difference. If you cannot donate, please consider sharing this campaign with your network. Together, we can ease the burden and allow Ruth to focus on what matters most: caring for Alaura.

How Funds Will Help

Travel to Tucson for frequent follow-up appointments with her neurosurgeon, oncologist, and other specialists

Home care supplies such as wound care, hygiene products, and safety items to support recovery after brain surgery and shunt placement

Daily living costs and wages lost both from the time Ruth has already missed during Alaura’s hospital stay and from future days she will need to miss work for appointments and care at home until Alaura can return to school

Adaptive items for vision loss to help Alaura adjust to her new limited sight and maintain independence and comfort at home

With Gratitude

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for taking the time to read Alaura’s story. Whether you are able to donate or simply share this campaign, your support means the world to us. Every kind word and act of generosity helps carry us through this difficult journey.

With love and gratitude,

Ruth and Alaura’s Village

All contributions to this campaign go directly to Ruth Whitehouse, who is Alaura’s full-time caregiver, to help cover her care, recovery needs, and daily living costs while Ruth supports her through this journey.