Love for Lydia

My name is Karia and my dearest friends are fighting a battle no one should ever have to, so many have outpoured their love and support and are wanting ways to help as their sweet, spunky, precocious, brave Little Lydia has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the tender age of 4. The battle is going to be long, exhausting and expensive. From treatment, travel time, missed work, and care for their other 3 children. Our goal is to relieve a little of their burden so they can focus their time and energy on their sweet little girl and her journey. Any help is so appreciated, please share with anyone who would like to lighten their load.

Here is a message from Lydia's Mom, Natalie:

"At four years and six months of age, I was diagnosed with cancer. Now, 26 years later, we are checked into Phoenix Children's Hospital with our daughter Lydia whom, at the age of four years and six months, has been diagnosed with cancer.

It feels like a sick joke. Dalton and I are distraught. I can't understand, for the life of me, why I have to go through this again. Except this time is worse, and not only because it's our precious daughter that has to be the on battling it. But because mine kidney cancer and kidneys are easily removable and hers is pancreatic cancer. This is, and has always been, my worst nightmare. I was afraid for her to turn four, I wished she could have skipped four.

As far as symptoms go, there were none related to her issue. In fact, she had started symptoms related to mine. She had pain after urinating and her tummy was hurting. The doc ran tests on her urine and there was nothing wrong there so we ultimately decided the issue must have been topical, however I still asked for ultrasounds.... which is what led us here. MRI scans and a biopsy later and here we are. I cannot even believe I was right and hate it, more than anything I have ever hated, that I was.

Please, family, friends, and everyone who will listen, keep praying and sending all the vibes for our daughter that the journey she is on is as smooth as possible. And that we will have the strength to be just that- strong for Lydia.

To our huge village, I am appreciative of all the positivity you are bringing me. I cannot tell you what it means, it feels like what's getting us through. Keep sending the messages, keep sending your love our way. We may not respond right away but we are reading them and it's so incredibly needed right now. Love to all."

#loveforlydia