Natali's Cancer Treatment Fund
Donation protected
I'm starting this fund for my 5 year old daughter, Natali Stefanelli who was found to have a Wilm's Tumor in her right Kidney. I figured this would be a better place to post updates throughout her journey then to blast Facebook or other social media outlets as that's not what I believe they were intended for.
My daughter is the world to me.
Along with my wife Lorissa and my 3 year old son, Braden. Ever since I was a kid I knew I wanted to have a family. There is something about the bonds of a family that always intrigued me that so many issues or situations good or bad could occur, and yet they always held. I always wanted, and continue to try to be the best father, husband, and supporter of my little family that my wife and I have started.
Natali has always been a very healthy kid. She is one of those people that have such a glowing spirit that it cannot be ignored. I'm not just saying this because she is my daughter, but because of how many people’s lives she has already positively affected. A true Aries to the core, she is full of energy, outgoing, and always ready for more. Her smile and laugh can only be described as an out-bursting joy for anything that life has to offer. She is special, and I love her more than words could ever describe.
On Tuesday, October 13th, she had a spill on the playground at her after school care. Nothing out of the ordinary for her, but started complaining that her stomach hurt. She was lying down in the office when my wife picked her up and continued complaining when she got home. At first I thought she was being overly-dramatic, but she went to her room and fell asleep, refusing to eat dinner, which passing up a meal is something she never does.
That night around 8pm she started throwing up, and continued every 45 minutes afterwards until I brought her to the Pediatric Dr. first thing in the morning. She was not running a fever but her color had drained. The Dr. tested for strep and a UTI, then did a few physical exams for Appendicitis, all resulted in negative or inconclusive. The Dr. said it could have been a stomach bug and sent us home with some anti-nausea medication. That quelled the vomiting, but her stomach pains were getting worse, and she was getting more lethargic. That afternoon she started running a fever and that’s when I took her to the emergency room.
I kept asking her if she had fallen on anything or if her stomach was hurting before the fall, she told me “no” which lead me to believe that maybe she had torn something in her abdomen or had a blocked bowel. Her pain was getting worse to the point where she couldn’t even walk. As a parent, there is nothing worse than being helpless to your child who is writhing in agony. Her stomach was distended more than usual and was starting to become hard to the touch. I knew something out of the ordinary was wrong.
At the emergency room they went through the same urine and strep tests. After a physical examination the Dr. said hat he was 99% sure it was Appendicitis. He said she would have to have a CT Scan prior to operating; only problem with that was she couldn’t keep the liquid down that you need to drink before the scan. At that point they asked the surgeon if she would operate without the scan to which she replied “absolutely not,” so they proceeded with the scan regardless that she couldn’t get the liquid down.
An hour passed and the Dr. called me into another room in order to give me the results. My stomach sank. I knew this was no going to be good. The Dr. just told me to brace myself and proceeded to divulge that they had found a tumor in her right kidney that was 20x15cm, essentially completely over taking the kidney. He said that it looked to have ruptured and leaked into her abdomen. Time was of the essence so they had already called an Air Vac before talking with me and explained she would have to be flown from Wilmington, NC to UNC Chapel Hill Hospital.
I was numb with the news and could only say, “Ok, do whatever you need to do.” I called my wife and told her she had about 30 minutes to get to the hospital before they lifted off. The Helicopter only had room for a gurney and the paramedics, so we signed off on some waivers and watched her fly off. We then drove home, threw some things in a suitcase, and arrived at Chapel Hill 4 hours later.
Things come and things go in life, but I have never been one to worry about any situation that I’ve been faced with so far, but for the first time, I was genuinely scared of what might be waiting for me when we arrived at the Children’s Hospital. All of that anxiety was quickly alleviated once I talked with the surgeon who would be performing the operation. I knew then that we were in probably one of the best places she could be for this state of affairs.
The operation was successful after 7 hours. They removed the tumor, kidney, lymph nodes, and appendix. They also placed a port for her upcoming chemo treatments. She was in some pain for the next couple days, but almost like someone flipped a switch, was right back to being herself on day 3. It’s amazing how resilient kids are.
Natali has always been overly dramatic when it came to cuts and bruises, so I was dreading having to show her the new scar that spans from her right side to the middle of her chest. Her surgeon came in on the 4th day to take a look at the incision and she caught a glimpse of it, but her only comment was “Oooh, that’s bad!” We then all took turns showing her any scars that we had, which in my case happen to have many gnarly examples. She didn’t seem to be bothered about it at all, which was yet another relief.
We went and toured the Pediatric Oncology Clinic the following Wednesday, and were given her plan for treatment, which to my surprise, was waaaay more than what I was lead to believe at that point. I kept hearing anywhere from 1-4 weeks, but apparently that was only in regards to radiation. The Chemo treatments will span over a 28 week period. They said she would lose her hair, and have a compromised immune system during the treatments. That seemed to be the breaking point for Lorissa. Fortunately her family had come to visit and was there to support her. We were released from the hospital that day, and were able to go home through the weekend much to the delight of Natali.
What was supposed to be a relaxing few days before starting into the marathon of treatments was de-railed when Lorissa got a call Thursday night that her father had passed away unexpectedly. Whatever little bit she had been holding on to was shattered. I had no clue how to console her, and was questioning whether this was real life or just some ongoing bad dream. With Lorissa being his only family it is our responsibility to take care of any arrangements, which may prove to be a little difficult since he was living 6 hours and 2 states away. Despite the news Lorissa has been able to regain some control, and we have had a nice weekend together as a family before heading back to UNC Hospital tomorrow.
So that’s our journey so far. Tomorrow looms and Natali and I are both a little nervous and just wishing time will pass as slow as possible between now and then. I won’t deny that the majority of my concerns are about the long term effect these treatments will have on her. I know she will do well; she is a fighter like I am, and has not even realized yet how strong she is in both mind and body. It has undoubtedly been the hardest decision I have had to make since it will directly impact her quality of life from this point forward. All my hopes, prayers, juju, vibes, and basically everything I have that is positive are being poured in to her so that she will come out of this healthy, happy, and with longevity so that she can experience every wonderful thing life has to offer.
I am completely humbled by the amount of support we have received so far from family and friends. It’s amazing how one person who has only been around for 5 years has impacted so many people who are willing to help her in any way. I have never been one to ask or accept a hand-out, but this is for her, not for me, and any help covering our insurance deductible of $10,000 will be appreciated more than I'll ever be able to express.
Thank you for taking the time to read our story so far. I will be posting updates to the CaringBridge site I've created at: caringbridge.org/visit/natali
Again, thank you all so much!
My daughter is the world to me.
Along with my wife Lorissa and my 3 year old son, Braden. Ever since I was a kid I knew I wanted to have a family. There is something about the bonds of a family that always intrigued me that so many issues or situations good or bad could occur, and yet they always held. I always wanted, and continue to try to be the best father, husband, and supporter of my little family that my wife and I have started.
Natali has always been a very healthy kid. She is one of those people that have such a glowing spirit that it cannot be ignored. I'm not just saying this because she is my daughter, but because of how many people’s lives she has already positively affected. A true Aries to the core, she is full of energy, outgoing, and always ready for more. Her smile and laugh can only be described as an out-bursting joy for anything that life has to offer. She is special, and I love her more than words could ever describe.
On Tuesday, October 13th, she had a spill on the playground at her after school care. Nothing out of the ordinary for her, but started complaining that her stomach hurt. She was lying down in the office when my wife picked her up and continued complaining when she got home. At first I thought she was being overly-dramatic, but she went to her room and fell asleep, refusing to eat dinner, which passing up a meal is something she never does.
That night around 8pm she started throwing up, and continued every 45 minutes afterwards until I brought her to the Pediatric Dr. first thing in the morning. She was not running a fever but her color had drained. The Dr. tested for strep and a UTI, then did a few physical exams for Appendicitis, all resulted in negative or inconclusive. The Dr. said it could have been a stomach bug and sent us home with some anti-nausea medication. That quelled the vomiting, but her stomach pains were getting worse, and she was getting more lethargic. That afternoon she started running a fever and that’s when I took her to the emergency room.
I kept asking her if she had fallen on anything or if her stomach was hurting before the fall, she told me “no” which lead me to believe that maybe she had torn something in her abdomen or had a blocked bowel. Her pain was getting worse to the point where she couldn’t even walk. As a parent, there is nothing worse than being helpless to your child who is writhing in agony. Her stomach was distended more than usual and was starting to become hard to the touch. I knew something out of the ordinary was wrong.
At the emergency room they went through the same urine and strep tests. After a physical examination the Dr. said hat he was 99% sure it was Appendicitis. He said she would have to have a CT Scan prior to operating; only problem with that was she couldn’t keep the liquid down that you need to drink before the scan. At that point they asked the surgeon if she would operate without the scan to which she replied “absolutely not,” so they proceeded with the scan regardless that she couldn’t get the liquid down.
An hour passed and the Dr. called me into another room in order to give me the results. My stomach sank. I knew this was no going to be good. The Dr. just told me to brace myself and proceeded to divulge that they had found a tumor in her right kidney that was 20x15cm, essentially completely over taking the kidney. He said that it looked to have ruptured and leaked into her abdomen. Time was of the essence so they had already called an Air Vac before talking with me and explained she would have to be flown from Wilmington, NC to UNC Chapel Hill Hospital.
I was numb with the news and could only say, “Ok, do whatever you need to do.” I called my wife and told her she had about 30 minutes to get to the hospital before they lifted off. The Helicopter only had room for a gurney and the paramedics, so we signed off on some waivers and watched her fly off. We then drove home, threw some things in a suitcase, and arrived at Chapel Hill 4 hours later.
Things come and things go in life, but I have never been one to worry about any situation that I’ve been faced with so far, but for the first time, I was genuinely scared of what might be waiting for me when we arrived at the Children’s Hospital. All of that anxiety was quickly alleviated once I talked with the surgeon who would be performing the operation. I knew then that we were in probably one of the best places she could be for this state of affairs.
The operation was successful after 7 hours. They removed the tumor, kidney, lymph nodes, and appendix. They also placed a port for her upcoming chemo treatments. She was in some pain for the next couple days, but almost like someone flipped a switch, was right back to being herself on day 3. It’s amazing how resilient kids are.
Natali has always been overly dramatic when it came to cuts and bruises, so I was dreading having to show her the new scar that spans from her right side to the middle of her chest. Her surgeon came in on the 4th day to take a look at the incision and she caught a glimpse of it, but her only comment was “Oooh, that’s bad!” We then all took turns showing her any scars that we had, which in my case happen to have many gnarly examples. She didn’t seem to be bothered about it at all, which was yet another relief.
We went and toured the Pediatric Oncology Clinic the following Wednesday, and were given her plan for treatment, which to my surprise, was waaaay more than what I was lead to believe at that point. I kept hearing anywhere from 1-4 weeks, but apparently that was only in regards to radiation. The Chemo treatments will span over a 28 week period. They said she would lose her hair, and have a compromised immune system during the treatments. That seemed to be the breaking point for Lorissa. Fortunately her family had come to visit and was there to support her. We were released from the hospital that day, and were able to go home through the weekend much to the delight of Natali.
What was supposed to be a relaxing few days before starting into the marathon of treatments was de-railed when Lorissa got a call Thursday night that her father had passed away unexpectedly. Whatever little bit she had been holding on to was shattered. I had no clue how to console her, and was questioning whether this was real life or just some ongoing bad dream. With Lorissa being his only family it is our responsibility to take care of any arrangements, which may prove to be a little difficult since he was living 6 hours and 2 states away. Despite the news Lorissa has been able to regain some control, and we have had a nice weekend together as a family before heading back to UNC Hospital tomorrow.
So that’s our journey so far. Tomorrow looms and Natali and I are both a little nervous and just wishing time will pass as slow as possible between now and then. I won’t deny that the majority of my concerns are about the long term effect these treatments will have on her. I know she will do well; she is a fighter like I am, and has not even realized yet how strong she is in both mind and body. It has undoubtedly been the hardest decision I have had to make since it will directly impact her quality of life from this point forward. All my hopes, prayers, juju, vibes, and basically everything I have that is positive are being poured in to her so that she will come out of this healthy, happy, and with longevity so that she can experience every wonderful thing life has to offer.
I am completely humbled by the amount of support we have received so far from family and friends. It’s amazing how one person who has only been around for 5 years has impacted so many people who are willing to help her in any way. I have never been one to ask or accept a hand-out, but this is for her, not for me, and any help covering our insurance deductible of $10,000 will be appreciated more than I'll ever be able to express.
Thank you for taking the time to read our story so far. I will be posting updates to the CaringBridge site I've created at: caringbridge.org/visit/natali
Again, thank you all so much!
Organizer and beneficiary
Jonny Baggo Doughnuts
Organizer
Wilmington, NC
Natali Stefanelli
Beneficiary
