My strong, beautiful and courageous niece Lila Winni has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which has spread to her liver. I am starting this fundraiser to give an outlet for so many of you that have asked how they can help Winni and my brother Freddy.

 

Winni has a rare genetic disease called tuberous sclerosis, that causes mainly benign tumors to develop in different parts of the body. Winni had one of these tumors in her heart as a baby and survived cardiac arrest as well as major open heart surgery. She also has small tumors in her brain and needs to take medication to manage any seizures she may have as a result.

 

During a routine scan to manage her TSC, it was discovered that the tumors she had on her pancreas and liver were cancerous. She had emergency surgery at Dana Farber to remove the large tumor from her pancreas and they also removed her spleen in hopes to stop any further spreading of the cancer. Immediately after the surgery, she started chemotherapy and then she will require radiation. In the short 8 years of her life, Winni has endured so much that no child should have to go through and yet her beautiful spirit and vibrant personality still shines bright.

 

Freddy shares custody of Winni and is the primary financial provider. He is fortunate that he is able to take family medical leave so that he can be there for Winni with home schooling, doctors appointments and managing the unpredictability of her cancer treatments however the high insurance premiums and unforeseen expenses are increasingly becoming more difficult for Freddy to manage on his own.

 

Surrounded by so much love and support, we have remained hopeful that with the best care for Winni at Dana Farber and Boston Children's Hospital will give her the chance to survive this horrible disease and retain some semblance of normalcy in her life. However, as you can imagine this is a long and emotional road for our family. My brother is not one to ask for help and he would be the first to lend a hand to someone in need. Any amount that you can donate will help them to defray any unforeseen expenses and allow Freddy to focus solely on her treatment and well being.

 

We are incredibly grateful for all of your love and support. Please keep Winni in your prayers. I will continue to update this page periodically during her treatment to keep everyone informed.

 

In Gratitude,

Roxanne Hanna
(Proud Auntie to the Strongest Little Girl in the World)