David Pierce

My nephew David Pierce is 14 years old.  On July 14th, 2018 he was rushed to the ER in Duluth.  A scan was performed and a tumor was found, at which point he was life flighted to the Children's Hospital in St. Paul.  The tumor was found at the base of his skull.

When he got to St Paul, a shunt was put in to drain the excess fluid on his brain - this is what was causing the migraines.  He also was having stability and motor function issues.  Throughout the night, enough fluid was drained to allow the neurosurgeon to comfortably remove the tumor.  

Sunday afternoon, David went under for a 5 hour surgery.  The tumor was sent to pathology to determine if it was malignant.  The results came back on Tuesday.  His tumor was a medulloblastoma - one of the most common cancerous tumors in children.  The surgery was deemed successful and the whole tumor was removed.  Next week, another MRI and spinal tap will be performed to determine if any cells migrated down his spine.

In August, David will begin the treatment process of both radiation and chemotherapy.  The radiation will last for 6 weeks at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, 6 hours away from home.  His chemo will be after that in 4 week intervals at the Children's Hospital - Minneapolis, 3 hours from home.  The schedule will last at least 7 months, possibly up to 14 months.

While at Mayo, the family cannot stay at a Ronald McDonald House.  They are financially responsible for their hotel stay, food, and gas.  In the cities, they are financially responsible for their gas and some of their food.  Please help this family out any way you can.  Between medical bills and travelling expenses, it will get expensive fast.  Help them to help David beat cancer's a**!!